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You are here : AllRefer.com > Health > Medical Symptoms Guide > Obesity

Obesity

Provided by A.D.A.M.

Definition

Overview & Considerations

Common Causes

Home Care & Treatment

Call your Health Care Provider if

What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office

Pictures & Images

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Alternate Names : Fat - Obese, Overweight


Definition

More than half of the U.S. population is overweight. But being obese is different from being overweight. An individual is considered obese when weight is 20% (25% in women) or more over the maximum desirable for their height. When an adult is more than 100 pounds overweight, it is considered morbid obesity.

Obesity is also defined as a BMI (body mass index) over 30 kg/m2. Patients with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight, but not obese. See also diet and calories.

Pictures & Images

Striae in the Popliteal Fossa
Striae in the Popliteal Fossa

Different Types of Weight Gain
Different Types of Weight Gain

Lipocytes (Fat Cells)
Lipocytes (Fat Cells)

Roux-En-Y Stomach Surgery for Weight Loss
Roux-En-Y Stomach Surgery for Weight Loss

Obesity and Health
Obesity and Health

Adjustable Gastric Banding
Adjustable Gastric Banding

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty

Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD)
Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD)

Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch
Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch

 
     See all Pictures & Images
Overview & Considerations

Rates of obesity are climbing. An ominous statistic is that the percentage of children and adolescents who are obese has doubled in the last 20 years.

The basic nutritional needs of most people are approximately 2,000 calories a day for women, and 2,500 for men. However, a professional athlete or manual laborer may need 4,000 or more. Pregnant women and nursing mothers require about 300-500 more calories/day than women who are neither pregnant nor nursing.

The body cannot store protein or carbohydrates, so excess protein or carbohydrate intake is converted to fat and stored. One pound of fat represents about 3,500 excess calories.

Obesity increases a person's risk of illness and death due to diabetes, stroke, coronary artery disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, and kidney and gallbladder disorders. Obesity may increase the risk for some types of cancer. It is also a risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis and sleep apnea.

Genetic factors play some part in the development of obesity -- children of obese parents are 10 times more likely to be obese than children with parents of normal weight.



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Definition
Obesity: Overview & Considerations
Obesity: Common Causes
Obesity: Home Care & Treatment
Call your Health Care Provider if
What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
Pictures & Images

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Weight Loss - Unintentional

Review Date : 5/17/2002
Reviewed By : A.D.A.M. editorial. Previous review: Sarah Pressman Lovinger, M.D., General Internist at Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (11/30/2001).

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A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial reviewers. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2003 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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