Obesity: What next?
Overweight and obesity are global trends affecting millions of people worldwide. Almost half the population of the United States has a bit of extra weight, while each third American has obesity. Many people believe obesity is just an aesthetic problem and do not realize its health complications. However, having trouble finding brands that fit your body is not a problem at all compared to the damage it does to your internal organs.
What is obesity?
Obesity is commonly defined as having an excess of body fat. The commonly accepted way to tell if you are obese or not is by measuring your Body Mass Index, or BMI. If you are a metric system user, it is 
very simple to calculate your BMI. You should divide your weight in kilograms by your square height in meters. For example, if a person is 1.70 m tall and weighs 65 kg, their BMI will be 65/1.72 =24.5.
However, for imperial system users, it is a bit more difficult because the formula was developed for the metric system. If you do not know your height and weight in meters and kilograms, you can use the same formula for inches and pounds and multiply the result by 703, which allows a fairly accurate approximation. For example, if a person weighs 145 lbs. and their height is 67 inches, their BMI would be (145/672 )x703=22.7.
You are fine if you got a result below 23.5 if you are an Asian American and below 25 if you represent any other ethnicity. If your BMI is below 27 for Asian Americans and 30 for others, you have some extra weight that you should get rid of to stay healthy. If your BMI is above those numbers, you are very likely to have obesity. For a more accurate diagnosis, visit your health care provider and have a discussion with them.
What are the causes?
Generally speaking, obesity is a tribute to the contemporary lifestyle. We eat more and move less. Therefore, our bodies receive a lot more energy than we spend, which results in the accumulation of the fat, where the excessive energy is stored.
Some of the things that contribute to the high prevalence of obesity are sedentary lifestyle, processed foods, and little fresh vegetables and fruits. Therefore, we are paying for the advancements of the civilization with our health. There are many more causes of obesity which you can find on free essay examples to understand it in more detail.
I have a high BMI. What do I do?
First of all, do not self-diagnose and treat obesity. Remember that, on the one hand, BMI is not a 100% accurate measure of excessive fat tissue, and on the other hand, obesity can be caused by numerous underlying health issues, such as endocrine disorders, tumors, genetic alterations, and even mental health problems. It can also occur because of the medications you may be taking. Talk to your health care provider about your concerns and see what you both can do.
Second of all, if you have been diagnosed with obesity, do not panic. You can still manage to lose weight, and there are several things you can do. If your BMI is not too far from the diagnostic cutoff point (i.e. the lowest measure required for the diagnosis), diet and physical activity will help. For more advanced stages of obesity, medications and bariatric surgery may be considered. Either way, if you want to be healthy, nothing can stop you!
13 Comments
Tamra Phelps
Losing weight is the hardest thing, I swear. I mean, I just flat out love eating, lol.
heather
I need to lose weight too this post was interesting to read thanks for sharing. Boy that burger looks good!
Tamra Phelps
I finally decided I might actually have an eating disorder, so I have been seeing a therapist. I NEED to get it under control if I’m going to get my knee surgery.
Kate Sarsfield
When I was stuck in a wheelchair for 6 months I put on a lot of weight and that led to sleep apnoea. Lost the weight, no more sleep apnoea.
Tamra Phelps
There needs to be some cosmic rule that if you stick to a diet for a month, then you wake up the next day and all excess weight has disappeared, lol.
Tamra Phelps
After seeing that picture of the burger, all I can think about is having a burger, lol. Which should tell you all you need to know about whether I need to lose weight!
Kate Sarsfield
I put on 10 pounds recently & just blamed it on the heavy rain/not being as active then realised all this has happened since I had my last steroid injection. Makes sense now.
Kelly Kimmell
Losing weight can be incredibly difficult. I have an underactive thyroid and that makes it twice as tough.
Crystal K
One thing that health care providers always stress is that BMI isn’t perfect – very athletic and muscular people can be categorized as obese due to weight and height, but they’re really not considered by more refined methods (e.g. body fat content).
Tamra Phelps
I lost over 100 pounds while I was sick and then in physical therapy. If you need to lose weight, by all means do it, because serious illness brings a longer recovery time if you also are overweight.
Connie: The Head Peanut
Ummm I still need to loose another 50 but I think I will continue on my treadmill. But, GOOD JOB!!! Ohhhh that means we can go clothes shopping right?!
Rosie
I know that over 65 it can creep up and is harder to get off. With Covid restrictions, many people haven’t had access to places they typically get exercise, either. Many ailments can diminish by losing weight, it is worth putting in the effort and making it a goal for health reasons.
Connie: The Head Peanut
But, I want the weight to come as easily (and tasty) as it went on. It’s so HARD!! Whine. Whine. Whine.