Obesity can be described as an increase in an individuals total body fat. The standard method for determining obesity is to use the Body Mass Index (BMI).

In order to calculate your BMI manually you need to:

• Work out your height in meters and multiply the figure by itself
• Measure your weight in kilograms
• Divide the weight by the height squared
• This figure will be your BMI

Having a body mass index of over 30 is often viewed by doctors as being obese.

This method does however have limitations. It does not take into consideration an individual's muscle mass. Therefore an individual can appear to be overweight when in fact they have a large amount of muscle mass. A professional sportsperson would often fall into this category.

Obesity is a chronic disease that can increase the risk of a person developing conditions such as: heart disease, stroke, cancer and high blood pressure. Healthy eating and exercise can help a person reduce their weight and consequently reduce the risk of developing the above conditions

Obesity has generally been viewed as a consequence of living a sedentary lifestyle and the chronic ingestion of excess calories. Recent opinion is changing and other factors are being considered such as genetic, environmental and metabolic influences.

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There are numerous factors that can influence the risk of an individual becoming obese. These factors include:

• Sedentary lifestyle – Physical activity results in the body burning calories. A lack of exercise is likely to result in weight gain
• Age – The amount of muscle in your body tends to decrease as you get older. Less muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism.
• Genes – Some people have a genetic tendency to store fat and gain weight. This coupled with other factors can increase the risk of an individual becoming obese.
• Diet – Eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of becoming obese. Eating fast foods and foods with a high sugar content can have the opposite effect.
• Alcohol – contains a high number of calories and excess drinking can often lead on to increasing your appetite

There are a number of different treatment options available for obesity including:

Surgery

For individuals with severe obesity, surgery has become a common form of treatment. Gastrointestinal surgery is generally believed to result in continued weight loss after surgery. In order to be considered for treatment an individual is likely to have a BMI of over 40. It is important that patients are informed about the benefits and risks before surgery commences. A follow up plan should be in place for post surgery and most importantly the individual must be committed to a change in lifestyle.

Exercise

In a world of office jobs, remote controls and high motor usage we are getting less exercise on a daily basis than ever before. Exercise is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and controlling weight gain. For many people who are suffering from obesity starting an exercise routine may be the hardest step. When starting such a routine the general advice includes:

• Start the routine slowly and then gradually increase the intensity of exercise
• Inform your doctor of your plans. He/she can advise you and also let you know if you are healthy enough to undertake the routine
• Participate in activities you enjoy

Behavioural Change

This form of treatment involves the individual undertaking changes to their diet and exercise routine to promote weight loss. There are a number of weight loss strategies that can include:

• Support network – having family and friends around to support you or joining a support group can help you to have a positive outlook on weight loss
• Rewards – can aid your motivation. If you have managed to exercise more or eat less of a certain food you can reward yourself
• Records – recording your physical activity and diet in a diary
• Goals – It is important to have realistic and achievable goals

Individuals with a high BMI often find it difficult to get health insurance. Our advisors can provide guidance for you so contact us today.