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Background - Obesity occurs when an individual has too much body fat.
- Obesity is different than being overweight, which means weighing too much.
- Both obesity and being overweight mean that an individual's weight is greater than what is considered healthy given his or her height.
- Obesity occurs over time when an individual eats more calories than he or she expends.
- Complications of obesity may include diabetes, stroke, heart disease, arthritis and some cancers.
Causes
The most common causes for obesity include: - Genetics
- Overeating
- A high-fat diet
- physical inactivity
Symptoms
Symptoms of obesity may include: - Difficulty in doing normal daily activities
- A large frame
- Lethargy or fatigue
- Shortness of breath
Diagnosis
Obesity is diagnosed by a physician. A physician diagnoses obesity by measuring an individuals body mass index (BMI).
Conventional Treatment
Obesity treatment is aimed at helping an individual achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Common obesity treatments may include: - A low calorie diet and exercise program
- Surgery
- Medication
Integrative, Complementary and Alternative Treatments Popular integrative treatments for obesity may include: - Homeopathy
- Nutrition
- Acupuncture
- Mind/Body Medicine
- Ayurveda
- Psychotherapy
- Vitamins, minerals and supplements such as pyruvate, 5-HTP, 7-KETO, HMB, calcium, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), fiber, glucomannan, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), amylase inhibitors, blue-green algae, chitosan, chromium, DHEA, guar gum, L-carnitine, sesamin, soy and whey protein
- Herbs such as cayenne, green tea, hoodia, yohimbine, bitter orange, coleus, guaran and guggul.
Prevention
- Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle
- Don't overeat
- Eat a low-fat, high protein diet
- Stay as physically active as possible
- Weigh yourself weekly and educate yourself on what your normal, healthy body weight should be.
References 1. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314 2. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesity.html
3. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000901/1051.html
4. http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/com/ConsConditions/Obesitycc.html Copyright 2008, rVeda, Inc. |
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