Obesity Flashcards
Define obesity
Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat in proportion to body size
Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans is increased to a point where it is associated with increased morbidity and/or mortality
Obesity represents a state of excess storage of body fat
Alsodefined as an excess body weight for height when ideal body weight is exceeded by 20%
Epidemiology of Obesity
Prevalence of obesity worldwide is increasing
Available data from the Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) projectsuggest that at least 15% of men and 22% of women in Europe are obese
Conservative estimates suggest that as many as 250 million people (approximately 7% of the estimated current world population) are obese
2-3x more people than this are probablyoverweight
Althoughsocioeconomic class and theprevalence of obesity are negatively correlatedin most developed countries,this correlation is distinctly reversedin many relatively undeveloped areas
Causes of obesity?
Genetic predisposition
Disruption in energy balance
Environmental and social factors
Etiological factors in obesity
- Age at which overweight/obesity develops
- Lifestyle
- Diet
- Drugs
- Others:
- Psychosocial factors
- Genetic and congenital disorders
- Socioeconomic and ethnic factors
- Viral agents
Environmental Factors of obesity
The combination of an excessive nutrient intake and a sedentary lifestyle
Certain physical and mental illnesses and particular pharmaceutical substances may predispose to obesity:
- Endocrinopathies: hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, growth hormone deficiency
- Drugs: steroids, atypical antipsychotics, some fertility medication
- Mental illnesses: bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder
How does the Age at which overweight/obesity develops have an effect?
Prenatal influences—
Caloric intake by the mother during pregnancy may influence body size, shape, and later body composition. Maternal smoking or diabetes increases the risk of obesity in the offspring
Infants who are small, short, or have a small head circumference are at higher risk of abdominal fatness and other comorbidities associated with obesity later in life
Infants born to diabetic mothers have a higher risk of being overweight as children and adults, as do children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy
