Learn about the different types of obesity and their symptoms

Obesity is a disease marked by abnormal or excessive fat buildup in the body, causing various health problems. It's a global epidemic affecting over 650 million people worldwide, according to the WHO. Medically, obesity is defined by the Body Mass Index (BMI), where a BMI of 30 or higher means the person is obese.

• Obesity and Body Mass Index (BMI) :-

Obesity symptoms include measurable standards used to assess body fat percentage. Nutrition experts use these calculations to diagnose obesity.

The main method to compare weight gain level with obesity severity is a specific measurement system called the Body Mass Index (BMI), defined as follows :-

There are different categories of obesity depending on how serious it is. A BMI of 35.0 to 39.9 is considered class two obesity.

While a BMI of 40.0 and above is class three obesity (morbid obesity).

• Obesity symptoms :-

Obesity happens when you eat more calories than your body can burn or use regularly. The body then stores the extra calories as fat. So if you keep eating too many calories day after day, your body keeps storing more fat which leads to obesity. In severe cases, it can lead to morbid obesity.

Obesity symptoms have been identified as a warning for many serious disorders, sometimes even life-threatening.

• Common obesity symptoms :-

Even though gaining a few extra pounds might seem unimportant to many when it comes to overall health, the weight gain can quickly become a serious medical issue.

1. Common obesity symptoms in adults :-

Adult obesity often shows recurring symptoms that negatively affect daily life, including :-

• Extra fat buildup in the body, especially around the waist area.

• Shortness of breath.

• Excessive sweating (more than usual).

• Snoring.

• Problems during sleep.

• Skin problems (due to moisture buildup in skin folds).

• Inability to do simple physical tasks (ones the person could easily do before gaining weight).

• Fatigue.

• Pain (especially in back and joints).

• Mental health effects (self-esteem, depression, social isolation, shyness).

2. Common symptoms of obesity in kids and teens:

The numbers of kids and teens who are obese have been going up recently. According to WHO, about 340 million kids and teens aged 5 to 19 were overweight or obese in 2016.

Common symptoms of obesity in kids and teens may include:

• Eating disorders.

• Fat tissue deposits (can be seen in the chest area).

• Stretch marks showing up on hips and back.

• Shortness of breath during physical activity.

• Sleep apnea.

• Constipation.

• Acid reflux.

• Low self-esteem.

• Early puberty in girls.

• Late puberty in boys.

• Bone problems like flat feet.

3. Symptoms of pathological obesity :-

Pathological obesity is a growing health concern in many developed countries today. When a person’s weight is 100 pounds over the ideal weight and their BMI is 40 or more, they are considered severely or pathologically obese.

A person with health issues linked to obesity like high blood pressure or diabetes and a BMI of 35 or more is also considered severely or clinically obese.

Severe obesity can make everyday activities like walking hard. It can also weaken body functions like breathing. Plus, it puts the person at risk for many other serious diseases.

• Complications caused by obesity :-

Besides the common obesity symptoms, it can also cause many serious health problems. Many of these problems are hard to spot early on.

Serious health complications likely with obesity include :-

• High blood pressure.

• High cholesterol levels.

• Strokes.

• Type 2 diabetes.

• Some types of cancer.

• Kidney diseases.

• Osteoporosis.

• Sleep apnea.

• Is it possible to be overweight and still healthy?

Yes, it's possible to be overweight and still healthy if you don’t have other conditions related to weight gain like high blood pressure or the other health problems mentioned above. Health isn’t just about BMI.
 

In the end, the problems caused by overweight and obesity are many and affect many parts of a person's life on all social, health, and psychological levels, among others.

So you need to set a limit on the weight gain problem by following a healthy and safe weight loss program.

Fitness Garage offers various weight loss programs that include workouts and healthy diets with daily follow-up from specialized trainers. You can rely on them.