Obesity information
Obesity is a disease that affects nearly one-third of the adult American population (approximately 60 million), and is on the increase world-wide. The picture is no brighter in the United Kingdom, where more than one in five men is now obese, a rise of two-thirds in a decade, and one in six boys under 15 is obese, a figure that has risen 60% in just nine years.
The problem is almost as serious for British women. Again more than one in five women (22.8%) are obese, a rise of nearly 40% since 1993, whereas 42% more girls, just under 17% in all, are obese compared with nine years ago.
Obesity world-wide has continued to increase since the early 1960's, and the trend is not slowing down. Today, 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorised as being overweight or obese, and although the figure is not as high in other countries there is a steady increase towards this figure.
Obesity is an excess of body fat frequently resulting in a significant impairment of health. Obesity results when the size or number of fat cells in a person's body increases. A normal-sized person has between 30 and 35 billion fat cells. When a person gains weight, these fat cells first increase in size and later in number. One pound of body fat represent about 3500 stored calories.
Obesity can be linked to a lack of physical activity and high calorie foods. Fast food is a major contributor. An individual can be considered obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) >30, and extremely obese with a BMI >40.
The problem is almost as serious for British women. Again more than one in five women (22.8%) are obese, a rise of nearly 40% since 1993, whereas 42% more girls, just under 17% in all, are obese compared with nine years ago.
Obesity world-wide has continued to increase since the early 1960's, and the trend is not slowing down. Today, 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorised as being overweight or obese, and although the figure is not as high in other countries there is a steady increase towards this figure.
Obesity is an excess of body fat frequently resulting in a significant impairment of health. Obesity results when the size or number of fat cells in a person's body increases. A normal-sized person has between 30 and 35 billion fat cells. When a person gains weight, these fat cells first increase in size and later in number. One pound of body fat represent about 3500 stored calories.
Obesity can be linked to a lack of physical activity and high calorie foods. Fast food is a major contributor. An individual can be considered obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) >30, and extremely obese with a BMI >40.
Weight loss News
Weight loss can reduce breast cancer risk
EW YORK (Reuters Health) - Losing weight in young adult life can reduce the risk of early-onset breast cancers associated with BRCA1/2 mutations, according to a multicenter study. "Breast cancer ...
Ten million Thais risk health problems from being overweight
BANGKOK (AFP) - Up to 10 million Thais could face health problems from being overweight, a deputy health minister warned. "There are about 13.0 percent of the population, or 10 million people,...
Robotic Weight-loss Surgery Appears Safe
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Keyhole or "laparoscopic" surgery for obesity can be safely performed with a completely robotic approach, new research indicates. Whether this represents a real s...