Obesity is an excessive accumulation of fat impairing physical and mental health. Defined as BMI value of over 30kg/m^2.
Epidemiology
- Obesity is becoming an epidemic in the Western world, where nearly 40% of the population is obese (US).
- It is a direct contributor and a risk factor of many diseases, including CVD, liver and renal disease, diabetes, and cancer.
- From the moment we become adults, on average, we gain more fat % as we age.
Diagnosis
- The besty way to measure fat is using special devices (DEXA scan, underwater testing, skinfold/caliper testing, electrical impendence).
- BMI is a calculation of the standartized height and weight, calculated by dividing weight by surface area (weight/height^2).
- Underweight: >18.5
- Normal: