What is obesity? (research)

I decided to do some research into what Obesity as it is an important factor in my project and the problem that I want to focus upon.

"The term obese describes a person who's very overweight, with a lot of body fat."

"It's a common problem in the UK that's estimated to affect around 1 in every 4 adults and around 1 in every 5 children aged 10 to 11."

BMI (Body Mass Index)  is the most widely used method to check if you are a healthy weight. 

The risks of obesity can include:

- Type 2 diabetes

- Coronary heart disease

- Some types of cancer, such as breast cancer and bowel cancer

- Strokes

It can also affect your quality of life and lead to psychological problems, such as depression and low self-esteem.

Obesity is generally caused by the consumption of more calories than you burn off through physical activity.

"Obesity is an increasingly common problem because for many people modern living involves eating excessive amounts of cheap high-calorie food and spending a lot of time sitting down at desks, on sofas or in cars."

Ways to treat obesity include:

- Eating a balanced calorie-controlled diet as recommenced by a GP or weight loss management health professional (such as a dietitian)
- Join a local weight loss group
- Take up activities such as fast walking, jogging, swimming, or tennis for 150 to 300 minutes (2.5 to 5 hours) a week
- Eat slowly and avoid situation where you know you could be tempted to overeat

Obesity can cause a number of further problems, such as:

- Breathlessness
- Increased sweating
- Snoring
- Difficulty doing physical activity
- Often feeling very tired
- Joint or back pain
- Low confidence and self-esteem
- Feeling isolated

Some serious health conditions include:

• type 2 diabetes 
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (where fatty deposits narrow your arteries), which can lead to coronary heart disease and stroke
• asthma
• metabolic syndrome, a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity
• several types of cancer, including bowel cancer, breast cancer and womb cancer
• gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), where stomach acid leaks out of the stomach and into the gullet
• gallstones 
• reduced fertility 
• osteoarthritis, a condition involving pain and stiffness in your joints
• sleep apnoea, a condition that causes interrupted breathing during sleep, which can lead to daytime sleepiness with an increased risk of road traffic accidents, as well as a greater risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease
• liver disease and kidney disease
• pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia, when a woman experiences a potentially dangerous rise in blood pressure during pregnancy

"Obesity reduces life expectancy by an average of 3 to 10 years, depending on how severe it is."

"It's estimated that obesity and being overweight contribute to at least 1 in every 13 deaths in Europe."

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/ (All info off of this post is from this link)

https://www.who.int/topics/obesity/en/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323551