From the Guidelines
The condition of having a body weight higher than the appropriate weight for one's height is OVERWEIGHT or OBESITY, depending on the degree of excess weight. According to the most recent and highest quality study, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater, and a BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 is termed overweight 1.
Key Points
- Overweight and obesity are complex conditions that increase the risk of health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and joint issues.
- Contributing factors include genetics, lifestyle choices, certain medications, and medical conditions.
- Managing overweight and obesity typically involves creating a calorie deficit through dietary changes and increased physical activity, aiming for gradual, sustainable weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week rather than rapid changes.
- The World Health Organization defines obesity as an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health, and BMI is widely used to diagnose and stage obesity, although it is an imperfect measure of health 1.
- A person-centered communication style that uses inclusive and nonjudgmental language and active listening is recommended to optimize health outcomes and health-related quality of life 1.
Diagnosis and Management
- Obesity is recognized as a chronic disease, requiring effective prevention and treatment, and should not be regarded merely as a risk factor for other conditions 1.
- Effective management occurs at a multisystem level, with root causes and prevention of complications in mind.
- Individualized treatment approaches, including lifestyle and nutritional therapy, pharmacologic agents, or metabolic surgery, should be based on the person’s medical history, life circumstances, preferences, and motivation 1.
From the Research
Condition Description
- The condition of having a body weight higher than the appropriate weight for one's height is referred to as obesity 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Key Characteristics
- Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease that leads to negative effects on health, including increased risk of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders 3.
- The main cause of obesity is a long-term energy imbalance between consumed calories and expended calories 3.
Health Implications
- Obesity has a strong causal relationship with numerous serious comorbidities that impair quality of life, shorten life expectancy, and carry a major economic burden 4.
- Obesity contributes directly to several major cardiovascular diseases and increases overall cardiovascular mortality 4.
Treatment Options
- Metabolic and bariatric surgery offers the most effective and durable treatment for obesity, alleviating and often completely eliminating numerous comorbidities 4.
- Recent advances in pharmacological approaches, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and multireceptor agonists, have transformed obesity treatment and may contribute to cardioprotective potential 5.