The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases identifies obesity as a chronic health condition, like diabetes and high blood pressure, not a lifestyle choice. More specifically, obesity is a condition where a person s excess weight is a health risk. Obesity is defined as the inability for the body to balance caloric intake and energy output. As the amount of excess weight increases, so does the risk of heart disease, igh blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, gallstones, certain types of cancer, gout and gallbladder disease. Obesity can be the result of one or more factors including genetics, environmental, physiological, poor eating habits, and inactivity.
Doctors use different tables and formulas when measuring body fat to determine if a person is obese.
Weighing a person under water is the most accurate method. Other techniques include measuring skinfold thickness and using an electric current to calculate a person s body fat. On average, a person with a BMI measurement of 25 - 29 is considered overweight. A person with a BMI measurement of 30 and over is considered obese. Because obesity is considered a medical condition, many doctors use drug therapy as part of a comprehensive treatment program to help their patients lose weight.