Obesity

The Facts About Obesity and Overweight
The most widely accepted definition of obesity is calculated with height and weight measurements called the Body Mass Index or BMI. A person with a body mass index exceeding 30 is considered obese, and someone with a BMI of 40 or more has morbid obesity. Morbid obesity refers to a dangerous condition in which the sufferer is at risk of physical disability and a severely impaired quality of life.

Unfortunately, the general public misunderstands much about obesity. Popular culture oversimplifies this complex topic into "you're fat because you eat too much." Such a simplistic explanation however, hardly explains why some individuals can eat what they want and never gain an ounce, while others constantly fight to keep their weight down. Weight gain occurs when our bodies consume more calories than they use. That's the simple explanation but the definition of obesity encompasses many factors.

Obesity Treatments: What Works, What Doesn't

Obesity treatment is a complicated matter: What works for one person may not work for another. Once you factor in lifestyle, genetics, and personal weight and health issues, it's easy to see that treatment has to be tailored to the individual

And therein lies part of the impediment to successful obesity treatment: So many weight loss programs presume that everyone's the same. Programs greatly over-simply the issue when they assume that the needs of someone whose weight has genetic origins are the same as someone who suffers from a binge eating disorder. Unfortunately, all too many weight loss programs do just that.

The other great barrier to weight loss is the simple fact that losing weight is very hard work. Obesity research may scream the virtues of an active lifestyle, but for many truly obese people, exercising hard enough to burn calories is uncomfortable, painful, and in some cases, downright dangerous.

To lose weight and, more importantly, keep it off, you have to determine what works best for you.