What is Obesity ?
(oh-BEE-si-tee)
Having a high amount of body fat. A person is considered obese
if he or she has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater.
Body mass
index (BMI) A measure of body weight relative to height. BMI
can be used to determine if people are at a healthy weight,
overweight, or obese. A body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 up to
25 refers to a healthy weight, a BMI of 25 up to 30 refers
to overweight and a BMI of 30 or higher refers to obese.
Obesity
is a chronic disease that affects many people and often requires
long-term treatment to promote and sustain weight loss. As
in other chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood
pressure, long-term use of prescription medications may be
appropriate for some individuals. Weight-loss medications
should be used only by patients who are at increased medical
risk because of their obesity and should not be used for "cosmetic"
weight loss.
Reluctance
to View Obesity as a Chronic Disease
Obesity often is viewed as the result of
a lack of willpower, weakness, or a lifestyle "choice"--the
choice to overeat and underexercise. The belief that persons
choose to be obese adds to the hesitation of health professionals
and patients to accept the use of long-term appetite-suppressant
medication treatment to manage obesity. Obesity,
however, is more appropriately considered a chronic disease
than a lifestyle choice. Other chronic diseases, such as diabetes
and high blood pressure, are managed by long-term drug treatment,
even though these diseases also improve with changes in lifestyle,
such as diet and exercise. Although this issue may concern
physicians and patients, social views on obesity should not
prevent patients from seeking medical treatment to prevent
health risks that can cause serious illness and death. Appetite-suppressant
medications are not "magic bullets" or a one-shot fix for
obesity. They cannot take the place of improving
one's diet and becoming more physically active. The major
role of medications appears to be to help a person stay on
a diet and exercise plan to lose weight and keep it off.
obestiy,
obseity, obesety, obesaty, obesiyt
| http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/presmeds.htm
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