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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

What is obesity?

Definition of overweight or obese varies depend how we look but in general obesity is excess body fat experienced by a person in chronic. In normal conditions, body fat serves as an energy reserve, regulating body temperature, protection from trauma and other functions.

Ideally, the body of a woman consists of 25 - 30% fat, while in men 18 to 23%. When the body fat exceeds 30% in women and 25% in men then that person could be categorized fat or obese. How to calculate obesity easiest is to compare the height (kg) with weight (m) or known by the term Body Mass Index (BMI).

What are the risk factors associated with obesity?

Apart from cosmetic problem, obesity is a health issue very seriously. There in America, 300,000 deaths per year caused by obesity factor. Obesity can lead to several chronic diseases are very serious such as:

    *  Insulin Resistance. Insulin allows the body to deliver the glucose as fuel to energy formation in cells. With the move glucose into the cells will keep the insulin levels of blood sugar to normal levels. In obese people there is a high-fat accumulation in the body, while fat is very resistant to insulin. Thus, to deliver glucose into fat cells and keep blood sugar levels remained normal, the pancreas produces insulin insulin plant in significant amounts. Eventually, the pancreas can no longer produce insulin in large numbers so that blood sugar levels gradually rise and there was what is called Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
    * High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). Hypertension is very common in obese people. Researchers at Norway mention that the increase in blood pressure in obese women is more apt to occur when compared with obese men. Increased blood pressure is also apt to occur in obese people the type of apple (central obesity, The concentration of fat in the abdomen) when compared with those who are obese type pear fruit (the concentration of fat in the hips and thighs).
    *  Increased Cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia).
    *  Stroke.
    *  Heart attack. The latest research shows that the risk of coronary heart disease in obese people three to four times higher when compared with normal people. Each 1 kg increase in body weight occurred for increasing the death from coronary heart disease as much as 1%.
    *  Failing Heart.
    *  Cancer. Although still reap the controversy, several studies mention that an increase in the risk of colon cancer, prostate, bladder and cervical cancer in obese people. In menopausal women who have been prone to occur breast cancer.
    *  Gall stones.
    *  Arthritis (Gout).
    *  Osteoporosis.
    *  Sleep disorders.

What causes obesity?

The balance between calorie intake with energy expenditure to maintain balance weight. If someone takes a lot of calories into energy while burning less calories then the backup will be stored in the form of fat that will make people lose weight is increased. Most of the causes of obesity are high calorie consumption without accompanied by adequate physical activity. Some of the causes of obesity are:

    * Genetic. A child has a tendency to become obese if both parents obese. Genetic also plays a role in influencing the function of hormones that regulate fatty body.
    * excessive eating. Too much food will cause weight gain, especially if the food they eat lots of fat and sugar such as fast food, fried foods and sweets.
    * Consumption of foods containing simple carbohydrates. The experts argued, simple carbohydrates like sugar, fructose, soft drinks, beer, and wine will cause weight gain because this type of carbohydrate is more easily absorbed by the body.
    * Frequency of eating. Relations eating frequency and weight gain remain controversial. The experts say that people who eat small amounts of frequency from 4 to 5 times a day have cholesterol and blood sugar levels lower than the frequency of their eating less.
    * A slow metabolism. Women have the muscle mass is smaller than male. Muscles burn more calories than other body tissue, so that the metabolism in women is much slower than men. This will cause women have easier orientation when compared with obese men.
    * Lack of physical activity. Activities active people will burn more calories than those who sit idle,
    * Drug. Some drugs associated with weight gain among other things, anti-depression drugs, anti-seizure medications, diabetes drug, oral contraceptives, drug corticosteroids and some blood pressure-lowering drugs.
    * Psychological factors. In some people, emotions influence eating habits. There are people who suddenly want to eat a lot of emotion while. And if later on increased weight would cause other psychological problems.
    * Disease. Some diseases that can increase body weight, among others hypothyroid, insulin resistance, PCO, and Cushing syndrome.

Are other factors associated with obesity?

Here are some other factors associated with obesity than some of the things I mentioned above.

    *      Ras. Black people and people Hispanic have a tendency to get fat easier than men Caucasian and asia.
    *      Weight as children. Childhood obesity in children and adolescents also affect the occurrence of obesity in adulthood.
    *       Hormone. Women are more easily fat, especially when pregnant, menopause and when taking oral contraceptives.

Whether Body Mass Index (BMI) it?

As I mentioned above, the easiest way to calculate obesity is to find the value of BMI. BMI is a formula Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters quadrated Agency.

Here is the interpretation of BMI values.

    *      25 to 29.9: Pre-obese.
    *      30 to 34.9: Obese Class I.
    *      35 - 39.9: Obese Class II.
    *      Above 40: Obese Class III.

Please remember, the higher your BMI score the higher the risk you are suffering from some disease that I mentioned above.