Obesity - A Chronic Disease
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Overweight the obesity are some of the biggest challenges facing modern medicine today. Even slight overweight already increases morbidity and mortality by inducing risk factors and metabolic disorders. The correlation between obesity and coronary artery disease, hypertension, lipid disorders and type 2 diabetes is well documented.
Obesity-related disorders are a heavy burden, both for the patients and the public health systems. And in spite of considerable educational efforts promoting healthier life-style and eating habits, the incidence of obesity has increased over the past years. Obesity Definition and Classification Obesity can be defined as an excess of body fat. Dependent on the degree, this pathological condition is classified as 'overweight' or 'obesity'. There are various methods for measuring obesity. The Body Mass Index One of the most widely accepted means of assessing obesity is the Body Mass Index or BMI (sometimes called the Quetelet Index after its original proponent). It is calculated as follows. BMI kg = Body weight in kg |
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| Classification of overweight in adults according to BMI (Modified according to WHO Report 19984) | |||||||||||||
Especially Patients
Waist and Hip Measurements Waist and hip measurements are useful for defining body fat distribution, which is of special value when assessing health risks. The distribution of fat around the waist is known as android distribution or apple-shaped obesity. The distribution of fat around the buttocks and thighs is known as gynoid distribution or pear-shaped obesity. Android fat distribution has a higher cardiovascular risk of morbidity and mortality than the gynoid type. Fat distribution should be determined predominantly in patients with only moderate overweight, as this is not taken into account by the BMI. The waist is measured between the coastal arch and iliac crest, the hip circumference at the level of the trochanter major. The waist to hip ratio (WHR) – that means waist circumference/hip circumference – has proven useful in daily practice. A ratio of 1.0 or greater in men, and greater than 0.85 in women, is particularly associated with metabolic complications. Waist circumference is the simplest method for identifying the need for weight management and is an indicator of visceral obesity. A study has identified waist circumference as a simple predictor of health risks3. |
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