Obesity as a health risk

TY - CHAP

T1 - Obesity as a health risk

AU - Pedersen, Sue D.

AU - Sjödin, Anders Mikael

AU - Astrup, Arne

N1 - IHE 2012 038

PY - 2012/6/18

Y1 - 2012/6/18

N2 - Obesity is defined as a state of excess body fat and is classified by body mass index, though body fat distribution should also be taken into consideration. The prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. The etiology of most cases of obesity rests in a complex interplay between environmental, genetic, and psychosocial contributors, with endocrinological causes of obesity being responsible for only a minority of cases. Obesity carries with it many medical co-morbidities, including diabetes mellitus, several cardiac risk factors, an increased risk of malignancy, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and several psychosocial issues. Through these co-morbidities, obesity has a pronounced impact on disability and mortality. While an effective means of obesity prevention continues to evade us on a population level, a hypocaloric diet, a sustained commitment to physical activity, and attention to individual psychosocial and environmental contributors to obesity can be successful in weight reduction and maintenance of a healthy body weight.

AB - Obesity is defined as a state of excess body fat and is classified by body mass index, though body fat distribution should also be taken into consideration. The prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. The etiology of most cases of obesity rests in a complex interplay between environmental, genetic, and psychosocial contributors, with endocrinological causes of obesity being responsible for only a minority of cases. Obesity carries with it many medical co-morbidities, including diabetes mellitus, several cardiac risk factors, an increased risk of malignancy, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and several psychosocial issues. Through these co-morbidities, obesity has a pronounced impact on disability and mortality. While an effective means of obesity prevention continues to evade us on a population level, a hypocaloric diet, a sustained commitment to physical activity, and attention to individual psychosocial and environmental contributors to obesity can be successful in weight reduction and maintenance of a healthy body weight.

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 978-0-470-95917-6

SP - 709

EP - 720

BT - Present Knowledge in Nutrition

A2 - Erdman Jr., John W.

A2 - Macdonald, Ian A.

A2 - Zeisel, Steven H.

PB - Wiley-Blackwell

CY - Ames, Iowa

ER -