Classification of Obesity - Causes, Complications, and Prevention

ow is obesity classified? What are some of the ways to identify and prevent it.

The most common cause of obesity is eating too much and not moving enough. A large amount of surplus energy will be stored in the body as fat when you consume large amounts of fat and sugar, and do not burn off the energy through exercise.

Some of the common ways one can acquire obesity are poor diet, too much calorie intake, lack of physical activity/exercise, genetics and medical conditions such as diabetes and thyroid.

According to WHO A body mass index (BMI) is the ratio of weight to height, calculated as weight (kg)/height (m2). BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. BMI is a calculation that takes a person’s weight and height into account to measure body size.

Obesity is classified into 3 categories;

• Class I obesity: BMI 30 to <35 kg/m²
• Class II obesity: BMI 35 to <40 kg/m²
• Class III obesity: BMI 40+ kg/m²

Obesity can be classified according to a variety of factors

1 Obesity can be classified into three types based on where fat is deposited

• Peripheral: accumulation of excess fat in the hips, buttocks and thighs.
• Central: accumulation of excess fat in the abdominal area.
• Combination of both peripheral and central obesity.

The abdomen is regarded as the most dangerous area for fat accumulation because of its close proximity to vital organs.

2  Depending upon the association with other diseases there are 2 types: Type 1 and Type 2 obesity

• Type 1 obesity: This condition results from excessive calorie consumption and physical inactivity.
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• Type 2 obesity: occurs when a person has diseases such as cushing syndrome, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian disease, and insulinoma. Nevertheless, only 1% of obesity cases are caused by these factors, and even with little food, abnormal weight is gained.  

3 Obesity that is caused depending on the size and the number of fat cells

In proportion to the size of the fat cells, obesity becomes more severe.

There is more to obesity than simply gaining weight. Bones and internal organs are put under stress when body fat to muscle ratio is high. Furthermore, it contributes to inflammation in the body, a risk factor for cancer. Having a high body mass index increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

There are a number of health complications associated with obesity, some of which can be life-threatening if left untreated like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers (breast, colon, and endometrial), stroke, gallbladder disease, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol, arthritis, infertility.

Some of the measures to prevent and control obesity include healthy diet, regular physical activity, behavioural changes such as dancing to music instead of just watching TV. It is also essential to consult a doctor before taking serious steps like unreliable diet plans, working out too much than necessary.

Sources:1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279167/
2.https://www.who.int/health-topics/obesity#tab=tab_1
3.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/causes/#:~:text=Obesity%20is%20generally%20caused%20by,by%20the%20body%20as%20fat.

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