Another risk factor associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other illnesses is obesity. Obesity is abnormal increases in the amount of fat, mainly in the stomach and intestines, and in tissues beneath the skin. Obesity always involves a high proportion of body fat in relation to muscle and bone. Your body needs food as a source of energy to maintain body temperature and to fuel chemical and physical functions.
Food also provides raw materials for building and repairing body tissues.
Food requirements vary, even among individuals of the same height, build, age, and sex. The basic needs of most active people are about 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men. However, a professional athlete or a manual laborer may need 4,000 calories or more on days he or she is active. Only 1 percent of people with obesity have a hormonal problem that is a cause of their weight problem. If you eat more than you need for the energy you expend, your body stores the surplus as fat.