Top
>  Home
>  Advanced Search
>  About Therapy
>  List a Practice
>  About Us
>  Contact Us

 
Leftbottom
Middleleftcorner Middlerightcorner
Bookmark
Obesity Back
     Definition      Symptoms      Causes      Treatment      Sources
Definition
Top Top
Obesity is a condition of having excess body weight. When an adult is more than 100 pounds overweight, they are considered morbidly obese.

In the U.S., 97 million adults are overweight or obese. Being overweight significantly increases the risk of death from hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers. Obesity results in an approximate cost of $117 billion in the U.S.

Obesity has reached epic proportions. Rates of obesity have gone up from 12 to 20 percent of the population since 1991. This epidemic is not limited to adults: The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Sixteen percent of children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years old are considered overweight.
Symptoms
Top Top
  • Consumption of more food than the body can use
  • Excess alcohol intake
  • Sedentary lifestyle
Assessing Your Risk

Three key measures are used in assessing overweight:

  • Body mass index (BMI)
  • Waist circumference
  • Risk factors for diseases and conditions associated with obesity
The BMI is a measure of your weight in relation to your height, and your waist circumference measures your abdominal fat. Combining these with information about your additional risk factors will give you an idea of your risk for developing obesity-associated diseases.

What is your risk?

Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is linked to the risk of disease and death. However, while the score is valid, it may overestimate body fat in those with a muscular build, and it may underestimate body fat in older persons or others without much muscle mass.

Use BMI tables to estimate your total body fat:

BMI below 18.5: Underweight

BMI 18.5 - 24.9: Normal

BMI 25.0 - 29.9: Overweight

BMI 30.0 and Above: Obese

Waist circumference

Your waist circumference (which you can find by placing a measuring tape snugly around your waist) is a good indicator of your abdominal fat. This is another predictor of developing risk for heart disease and other illnesses. This risk increases with a waist measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women.

Risk of obesity-associated diseases

The combination of your BMI and your waist circumference informs you of an increased risk for developing obesity-associated diseases or conditions.

Other risk factors

Besides being overweight or obese, other risk factors are important to consider:

  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • High LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol)
  • Low HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol)
  • High triglycerides
  • High blood glucose (sugar)
  • Family history of premature heart disease
  • Physical inactivity
  • Cigarette smoking
Assessment

For obese or overweight people who have two or more risk factors, federal guidelines recommend weight loss. Even a small weight loss (such as 10 percent of your current weight) lowers your chance of developing diseases associated with obesity. Patients who are overweight but have less than 2 risk factors and do not have a high waist measurement may just need to prevent further weight gain rather than lose weight.

Ask your doctor to evaluate your BMI, waist measurement and others risk factors for heart disease. He can let you know your level of risk and whether you should lose weight.
Causes Top Top
Lack of physical activity

The risk of developing coronary heart disease, the nation's leading cause of death, can be significantly decreased by regular physical activity. This will also decrease the risk for colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. It also helps with weight control and the development of healthy bones, muscles and joints; reduces falls among the elderly; helps to relieve arthritic pain; reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression; and is associated with fewer hospitalizations, physician visits and medications.

More than 60 percent of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits, with more than 25 percent being virtually inactive in their leisure time. Activity decreases with age and is less common among women than men and among those with lower income and less education. Adults are not the only ones who don't get enough physical activity. More than a third of youngsters in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity.

The critical role of healthy eating

We now know that good nutrition lowers the risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis. At least 10 million Americans at risk for Type 2 diabetes can sharply lower their chances of getting the disease with good nutrition and proper exercise.

While many Americans are adopting healthier diets, a large gap still exists between what Americans should eat and what they actually eat. Only about one-fourth of U.S. adults eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Poor eating habits are often established during childhood. More than 60 percent of young people eat too much fat, and less than 20 percent eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
Treatment Top Top
First, a person should set realistic goals for weight reduction. One should engage in aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week, and try to increase physical activity in general.

A support group may be a helpful tool in aiding weight loss. People find it easier to follow a diet and exercise program if they join a group of people with similar challenges.

Key recommendations from the expert panel on the Identification, Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults:

The initial goal of weight-loss therapy should be to reduce body weight by about 10 percent from baseline. For the first six months, weight loss should be approximately one to two pounds per week. If necessary, the patient can continue to lose more weight.

Reducing dietary fat alone without reducing calories is not enough to cause weight loss. However, reducing dietary fat along with reducing dietary carbohydrates can help reduce calories.

Drug therapy can also be used. However, drug safety and efficacy beyond one year of total treatment have not been established.

Selecting a weight loss program

Some people lose weight on their own; others like the support of a structured program. If you decide to join any kind of weight-control program, here are some questions to ask before you join.

  • Does the program provide counseling to help you change your eating and personal habits?
  • Will this program teach you how to permanently change habits and lifestyle factors that have contributed to weight gain?
  • Is the staff made up of a variety of qualified counselors and health professionals such as nutritionists, registered dietitians, doctors, nurses, psychologists and exercise physiologists?
You need an evaluation by a physician if you have any health problems, are currently taking or plan on taking any medicine or plan to lose more than 15 to 20 pounds. If your weight-control plan uses a very low-calorie diet, you need an exam and follow-up visits by a doctor.

  • Is training available on how to deal with times when you may feel stressed and slip back to old habits? Is attention paid to keeping the weight off, and how long is this phase?
The program should provide long-term strategies for dealing with weight problems that may come up in the future. These strategies might include things like establishing a support system and establishing a physical activity routine.

  • Are food choices flexible and well-suited to the individual? Are weight goals set by the client and the health professional? The program should consider your food likes and dislikes and your lifestyle when your weight-loss goals are planned.
  • What percentage of people completes the program?
  • What is the average weight loss among people who finish the program?
  • What percentage of people has problems or side effects, and what are they?
  • Are there fees or costs for additional items, such as dietary supplements?
Quick weight-loss methods do not lead to lasting results. Relying on diet aids like drinks, prepackaged foods or pills don't work over the long term. No matter how much weight you wish to lose, modest goals and a slow pace will increase your chances of losing the weight and keeping it off.

Guide to physical activity

Not only is exercise an integral part of a weight loss and weight maintenance plan, it also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, beyond that produced by weight reduction alone.

Your exercise can be done all at one time, or intermittently over the day. Initial activities may be walking or swimming at a slow pace. Your regimen can be adapted to other forms of physical activity, but walking is a particularly smart choice because of its safety and accessibility. Increasing activity by undertaking frequent, less strenuous exercises, such as walking up and down the stairs instead of the using the elevator. You may eventually be able to engage in more strenuous activities such as tennis or any form of group sport.

Guide to behavior change

Over the past few years it has become clear that many people suffer from health issues due to weight. Some people who need to lose weight for their health don't recognize it, while others who don't need to lose weight want to get thinner for cosmetic reasons.

Weight can affect a person's self-esteem. Excess weight is clearly visible and may attract ridicule. The amount of weight loss needed to improve your health may be much less than your total weight-loss goal. Your health can be greatly improved by a loss of 5-10 percent of your starting weight. That doesn't mean you have to stop there, but it does mean that an initial goal of losing 5-10 percent of your starting weight is both realistic and valuable.

Balance your (food) checkbook

Healthy food shopping

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Obesity Guidelines

So, shop for quick low fat food items and fill your kitchen cupboards with a supply of basics like the following:

  • Fat free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese
  • Light or diet margarine
  • Eggs/Egg substitutes
  • Sandwich breads, bagels, pita bread, English muffins
  • Soft corn tortillas, low fat flour tortillas
  • Low fat, low sodium crackers
  • Plain cereal, dry or cooked
  • Rice, pasta
  • White meat chicken or turkey (remove skin)
  • Fish and shellfish (not battered)
  • Beef: round, sirloin, chuck arm, loin and extra lean ground beef
  • Pork: leg, shoulder, tenderloin
  • Dry beans and peas
  • Fresh, frozen, canned fruits in light syrup or juice
  • Fresh, frozen, or no salt added canned vegetables
  • Low fat or nonfat salad dressings
  • Mustard and catsup
  • Jam, jelly, or honey
  • Herbs and spices
  • Salsa
Sources Top Top
  • Center for Disease Control
  • National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
  • National Institutes of Health - National Library of Medicine
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases.
Top Top  
Leftbottomcorner Rightbottomcorner
Copyright (c) Find-a-Therapist, Inc.
Find a Therapist, Inc.| Mesa | Arizona | 85209 | Contact Us| Site Index
Tel: 1-866-450-FIND (1-866-450-3463) | Local: 480-325-8330 | Fax: 480-396-3213.
Find-a-Therapist

Copyright © 2003-2010. Cognode, Inc.
All Rights Reserved .

Powered by Cognode

New AnxietyDisorders Therapists Profiles

Leftbottomcorner Rightbottomcorner