In the past few years, the media has presented many reports on the growing problemof overweight Americans. Being overweight leads to many health problems that cost people their lives as well as money as medical care needs increase.
According to Hubert Chen, M.D., AssociateDirector of Medical Sciences at Amgen Inc. and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine University of California at San Francisco,obesity is a disease defined as “an increase in total body fat determined by your BodyMass Index (BMI).”
Obesity is the excessive accumulation of body fat or having a BMI of 30 or greater.
As a result, “as many as one-third of all Americans” are obese based on BMI criteria,according to HealthCentral.com. Body Mass Index can be determined by using a simple formula.
HealthCentral.com instructions to calculate your BMI are as follows: multiply weight in pounds by 705; divide by height in inches; divide this number by height in inches a second time.
It should be understood that a person with a high BMI and a muscular body would not be considered obese. The excess body fat is the determining factor of obesity.
After smoking, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death and is associated with Type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, arthritis, gallstones, and certain types of cancer according to HealthCentral.com.
While obesity is a serious health issue, it can be treated. A person along with theassistance of a physician should determine their BMI and then formulate a plan that he or she can follow to reduce their weight and/or excess body fat.
A physician should perform a physical examination, which should be conducted at least annually. The examination should include a measurement of height and weight to help diagnose whether or not one is obese.
The physician should also have the patient’s complete medical and family history.This history would include finding answers to the following questions:
When were you first considered or diagnosed as being obese?
Do you have any close family members who are obese?
What is your current eating and exercise behavior?
Do you smoke or drink alcohol?
What is your previous weight gain or weight loss experience?
Additionally, blood tests will help a physician determine if you have abnormal glucose, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels as well as to discover whether any obesity-related conditions may be present.
Once the physician has all the needed data to make a diagnosis, he can consult with the patient and determine the best treatment strategy.
The strategy will most likely be a weight loss and exercise program, which the physician will monitor.
One needs, at minimum, 20 minutes of constant exercise to achieve a sufficient heart rate to get the necessary impact for weight loss.
Additionally, the patient would be expected to engage in behavioral modification to change their eating and exercise behavior until it becomes a new way of life and a routine of exercise becomes a normal for them.