Obesity means having too much body fat, and it is unhealthy. Obesity usually occurs when you eat more calories than you use over time and store the extra calories as body fat. People who are obese have increased risks of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some cancers.

Each person has a different balance between the number of calories he or she needs to take in and the number to burn to maintain a healthy weight. There are a variety of factors that can influence this balance, including your genetic makeup, overeating, consuming high-fat foods, and not being physically active. If you are obese, losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your weight can decrease your risk of disease.

Typically, body fat levels are measured by using your weight and height to calculate your body mass index (BMI). Your BMI usually correlates with the amount of body fat you have. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is deemed obese, while one who has a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. BMI is not an actual measurement of your body fat and can be inaccurate for certain people, such as athletes, who may have high weights for their heights because of their muscular builds.

Body fat levels can be assessed using other methods, including measuring skin fold thickness and waist circumference, calculating waist-to-hip circumference ratios (abdominal fat is a predictor of risk of obesity-related diseases), and other techniques, such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and MRI. Additionally, besides looking at body fat levels, risk of obesity-related disease should be determined by considering other factors, such as blood pressure and level of activity.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Adult BMI parameters should not be used for children. For children and teenagers, BMI ranges take into account normal differences in body fat between boys and girls and normal differences at various ages.
  2. Studies suggest that getting enough sleep helps adults avoid from becoming obese and may even protect children from becoming obese as adults.
  3. Current information estimates that 30 percent of Americans are obese.