Obesity is a disorder characterized by excessive weight gain, where the proportion of body fat can put health at risk . In this sense, obesity is associated with other types of disorders, such as circulatory and respiratory problems, etc. It is a type of problem in Western societies that has reached a high degree of relevance; this is explained by changes in eating habits and physical exercise. This circumstance has caused many health problems that were previously associated only with the elderly, now appearing even in children.
Obesity can be presented at various levels, the morbid one being the one that severely compromises the life of the individual who suffers from it. In this sense, a typical exam to prove the degree of obesity is called the body mass index. It is associated with the weight and height of the person in question, assuming that the greater the height, the more weight is expected. Results are classified at various levels as underweight, normal, overweight or morbidly obese . This type of index is used very often by life insurance companies, which seek to eliminate any type of risk.
However, there are some controversies about this type of index, since they are only applied to people who do not exercise regularly. In fact, the existence of a large amount of muscle mass can be misleading as muscle weighs more than fat. That’s why there is another type of complementary exam that tries to give an accurate diagnosis of the person’s situation; so, for example, it is also important to measure the waist circumference through a centimeter: if it is greater than one hundred and two, there is obesity that can affect health.
The treatment of obesity requires a change in a person’s habits. In fact, the two issues to be addressed are nutrition and physical activity . At first, it is usual to apply a low- calorie diet , but over time, if there is no regular physical activity, the weight may go back up. That’s why the most important thing is to acquire new habits.
