Obesity - Too Much Body Fat

Obesity may be described as a bodily condition characterised by excessive storage of fat in the adipose tissues.



It usually results from consumption of food in excess of physiological needs. Obesity is common among people in Western countries and among the higher income groups in India and other developing countries.

Obesity can occur at any age in either sex. Its incidence is higher in persons who consume more food and lead sedentary lives.



In women, obesity is liable to occur after pregnancy and at menopause. A woman usually gains about 12 kg. Weight during pregnancy. Part of this is an increase in the adipose tissue which serves as a store against the demands of lactation.



Many women gain more and retain a part of this weight. They become progressively obese with each succeeding child.

Assessment of Obesity:

Obesity is generally assessed by relating the patients' weight to charts of standard weight according to age, sex and height and then categorise them as 10,20, or 30 per cent overweight. However, normal weight depends on body build and some people, who inherit a large frame and bulky muscles, may weigh more than the standard weight, without being obese. A more scientific assess¬ment of obesity would, therefore, be by the proportion of fat in the total body weight. Mean values of body fat for the normal young men are about 12 per cent and for young women about 26 per cent. A man whose body fat amounts to more than 20 per cent of his total weight may be regarded obese and for a woman a figure of more than 30 per cent represents obesity.

Obesity is a serious health hazard as the extra fat puts a strain on the heart, kidneys and liver as well as the large weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees and ankles, which ultimately shortens the life span. It has been truly said, 'the longer the belt, the shorter the life. Overweight persons are susceptible to several diseases like coronary thrombosis, heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, gout and liver and gall-bladder disorders.

Causes of Obesity:

The chief cause of obesity, most often, is overeating - that is, the intake of calories beyond the body's energy requirement. Some people have a habit of eating too much while others may be in the habit of consuming high calorie foods.



These people gain weight continuously as they fail to adjust their appetite to reduced energy requirements. There has, in recent times, been an increasing awareness of the psychological aspects of obesity. Persons who are generally bored, unhappy, lonely or unloved, those who are discontented with their families, or social or financial standing usually tend to overeat as eating is a pleasure and solace to them.

Obesity is sometimes also the result of disturbances of the thyroid or pituitary glands. But glandular disorders account for only about two per cent of the total incidence of obesity. In such persons the basal metabolic rate is low and they keep gaining weight unless they take a low calorie diet.