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Cooking | Health | Nutrition | Weight Gain | Weight Loss | Women | Baby | Social Planning | SITEMAP
Obesity What is obesity?
The normal amount of body fat for women is between 25-30%, and 18-23% for men. Women over 30% body fat and men over 25% body fat are considered obese.
Overweight and and abdominal adiposity are of concern among Indians living in United States as well as the masses living in urban areas of India. Overweight is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI).
Abdominal adiposity may be present even when the BMI is normal. Normally, it is measured as waist to hip ratio.
The abdominal adiposity (waste circumference measurement) increases risk for Type II diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases.
| Status | BMI | Obesity Class |
Disease Risk |
|
| Waste Circumference in Inches | ||||
| Men =<40 Women <=35 |
Men >40 Women >35 |
|||
| Underweight | <18.5 | |||
| Normal | 18.5 to 24.9 | |||
| Overweight | 25.0 to 29.9 | Increased | High | |
| Obesity | 30.0 to 34.9 | Class I | High | Very High |
| 35.0 to 39.9 | Class II | Very high | Very High | |
| =>40 | Class III | Extremely High | Extremely high | |
When our caloric intake exceeds the calories spend by the body, excessive calories are stored as fat. Therefore, the life style change includes both: reducing caloric intake, and spending of calories by increased physical activity. We have to understand three more concepts before going into reducing calories.
Health risks of obesity
Insulin Resistance leading to Pre-diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes
High cholesterol and Triglycerides
Heart Diseases
Gallstones
Gout and gouty arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Sleep apnea
Pickwickian syndrome