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An estimated 250 million people around the world are
clinically overweight and the numbers are rising each
year. In 1997, the World Health Organisation (WHO)
declared that obesity had become a global epidemic,
posing a serious threat to public health due to the
increased risks of related health problems, including
type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and
stroke. Obesity is defined as excessive body fat and
this condition has serious effects on a person's health
and quality of life. Obesity is considered to be second
only to smoking as a leading cause of preventable death
world-wide.
Causes of Obesity
Obesity generally results
from a combination of unhealthy eating habits coupled
with a non-active lifestyle. When a person's energy
intake from food exceeds his or her energy requirements,
the excess is stored as fat. Because body fat is hard to
measure directly, whether a person is overweight can be
determined by calculating his or her body mass index
(BMI) by dividing the body weight in kilograms (kg), by
the square of the height in meters (m2). A person with a
BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 is defined as overweight
and with 30 kg/m2 or more as obese.
Weight Management
A successful approach to
weight management should consider the numerous factors
contributing to overweight and obesity. Such a weight
management programme should focus on:
To learn more about the management of weight and
obesity, please access the corresponding information on
our international information portal. |
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