Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems.[1][2] Body mass index (BMI), a measurement which compares weight and height, defines people as overweight (pre-obese) if their BMI is between 25 and 30 kg/m2, and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2.[3]

Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.[2] Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food energy intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness.

Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain

weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people

have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to

the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.[4][5]

Dieting and physical exercise

are the mainstays of treatment for obesity. Moreover, it is important

to improve diet quality by reducing the consumption of energy-dense

foods such as those high in fat and sugars, and by increasing the intake

of dietary fiber. To supplement this, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery

is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach

volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced

ability to absorb nutrients from food.[6][7]

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century.[8] Obesity is stigmatized in much of the modern world (particularly in the Western world),

though it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at

other times in history, and still is in some parts of the world.[2][9]

we not worried bout ya health homie

no i did for u lot

tho the fat guy pic on ur profile is actually u

no its the facebook pic ur mother sent me

how abt santa? hes wayyy obese, but he didint die already. D:

and osama bin laden holds the world record for best hide n seek player

no thats madeline mcann

ooo dam ain that harsh !

Last edited by Kaze 15 years ago