What is Obesity?
Obesity is the excessive accumulation of fat in the body to the extent that it adversely affects health. The normal amount of body fat varies with age and gender. Body fat increases with age in both men and women. If the amount of body fat is more than normal, the person is considered overweight or obese.
Health Hazards of Obesity
Obesity can lead to an increased risk of many diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, increased blood lipid levels, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, stroke, and it can negatively affect bone health and reproduction. Additionally, obesity increases the risk of certain cancers (such as breast cancer and bowel cancer).
Obesity decreases quality of life because of its negative effects on sleeping, movement, and social activities.
Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern; it is a chronic disease.
When deciding a person is obese or not, first of all, body mass index (BMI) is calculated in line with the criteria determined by the World Health Organization. Body mass index is obtained by dividing your weight (kg) by the square of your height (in meters) (kg/m2).
| Category | BMI |
| Normal Weight | 18.50 – 24.99 kg/m2 |
| Overweight | 25.00 – 29.99 kg/m2 |
| Obesity, Stage I | 30.00 – 34.99 kg/m2 |
| Severe Obesity, Stage II | 35.00 – 39.99 kg/m2 |
| Morbid Obezity, Stage III | ≥40.00 kg/m2 |
Obesity with statistics
In 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity.
Worldwide adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, and adolescent obesity has quadrupled.
In 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 years and older) were overweight. Of these, 890 million were living with obesity.
In 2022, 43% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight and 16% were living with obesity.
In 2022, 37 million children under the age of 5 were overweight.
