Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue, is increased to a point where it is associated with certain health conditions or increased mortality.

Obesity is both an individual clinical condition and is increasingly viewed as a serious public health problem. Excessive body weight has been shown to predispose to various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.

Obesity in adulthood can lead to a slower rate of career advancement. Most obese people have experienced negative thoughts about their body image, and many take drastic steps to try to change their shape, including dieting, the use of diet pills, and even surgery.

Problems that can arise out of Obesity

• Cardiovascular: congestive heart failure, enlarged heart and its associated arrhythmias and dizziness, cor pulmonale, varicose veins, and pulmonary embolism

• Endocrine: polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), menstrual disorders, and infertility

• Gastrointestinal: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), fatty liver disease, cholelithiasis (gallstones), hernia, and colorectal cancer

• Renal and genitourinary: erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, chronic renal failure, hypogonadism (male), breast cancer (female), uterine cancer (female), stillbirth

• Integument (skin and appendages): stretch marks, acanthosis nigricans, lymphedema, cellulitis, carbuncles, intertrigo

• Musculoskeletal: hyperuricemia (which predisposes to gout), immobility, osteoarthritis, low back pain

• Neurologic: stroke, meralgia paresthetica, headache, carpal tunnel syndrome, dementia

• Respiratory: dyspnea, obstructive sleep apnea, hypoventilation syndrome, Pickwickian syndrome, asthma

• Psychological: Depression, low self esteem, body dysmorphic disorder, social stigmatization

Treatment options

• Nutritional Restructuring

• Excercise

• Treatment of associated disease

• Surgery