What is Obesity?

Obesity is to be dreaded and avoided. Fat people are definitely obese but thin people can be obese too.

What is obesity?

It is the excessive amount of body fat, especially in our abdominal region. Your BMI will indicate whether you are overweight or obese. BMI is calculated by your weight in kilos divided by the square of your height in meters. ( Subscribe to www.peggy-chan.com for your BMI table )


If you have a BMI of 25.0 – 29.9 you are overweight. A BMI of 30 and above indicates obesity. Why should we avoid obesity?

Obesity brings with it life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, some forms of cancer and osteoarthritis.

The cancers indicated include breast, ovarian, cervical, esophageal, stomach & colorectal, liver & pancreatic, kidney and prostate. Other medical conditions are erectile dysfunction, renal failure, urinary incontinence and infertility.

Obesity-related deaths are on the rise because of the current sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. The lack of exercise has also resulted in more and more people with weight problems.

Another factor is the advance in technology which has made it possible for people to use machines both in the workplace and at home. Thus work is no longer physically demanding and people have become more sedentary.

The only way to reduce the risks associated with obesity and premature death is to exercise and to lose weight. A weight loss program can help faster weight loss and an exercise regime has to be followed daily. Those who are severely obese need to be monitored by a doctor to prevent complications that may arise in their efforts to lose weight.

There are many weight loss supplements in the market that will help in weight loss. For the severely obese,the last resort will be bariatic surgery.

Prevention is better than cure. So to prevent obesity do watch your weight and eating habits. Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle which is healthy eating and regular exercise. This becomes more important as we grow older. Good eating habits and daily physical activity will keep you at a healthy weight and reduce your health risks. Read more at www.peggy-chan.com