Obesity : The Lancet Report
The global rate of obesity has quadrupled in children and doubled in adults since 1990, according to a new analysis published in The Lancet, a medical journal, recently.
- Obesity is defined by excess body fat (adipose tissue) that may impair health.
- It is a long-term (chronic) health condition that progresses over time.
- Obesity is the result of an imbalance between daily energy intake and energy expenditure, resulting in excessive weight gain.
- It is a multifactorial disease caused by a myriad of genetic, cultural, and societal factors.
- Various genetic studies have shown that obesity is extremely heritable, with numerous genes identified with adiposity and weight gain.
- Other causes of obesity include reduced physical activity, insomnia, endocrine disorders, medications, the accessibility and consumption of excess carbohydrates and high-sugar foods, and decreased energy metabolism.
- Healthcare providers commonly use the Body Mass Index (BMI) to define obesity in the general population.
- A BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.
- Obesity is associated with cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance, causing diabetes, stroke, gallstones, fatty liver, hypoventilation syndrome, sleep apnea, and cancers.
- It is the second-most common cause of preventable death after smoking.
- Obesity needs multiprong treatment strategies and may require lifelong treatment.
