Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million people in the United States, with women being especially affected. More than a third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, most of them African-American or Mexican-American. With more and more prepackaged foods and less and less activity, the number of obese people in the United States has risen steadily since the 1960s.
But what is obesity? Many people think that obesity means that a person is overweight, but that is not exactly true. An overweight person has an excess amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has excess body fat. Most health professionals agree that a man is obese if he has more than 25 percent body fat and a woman is obese if he has more than 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, which is why there is a difference in percentage.
It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a caliper-like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds at different points on your body and compare the results to standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your percentage of body fat. The most widely used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at their body mass index (BMI). A person with a BMI greater than 30 is considered obese, and a person with a BMI greater than 40 is considered severely obese. However, it is important to remember that the BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in people who are muscular.
With obesity comes increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Additionally, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically lower your risk of developing these serious diseases. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and subjected to insults and other verbal abuse.
Obesity is caused by a number of factors, including poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and certain medical conditions, but it can be beaten. One of the main obstacles to being more physically active is motivation and responsibility. Find a friend with similar fitness goals and start a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see the results, but your health is worth it!