The Most Common Medical Disorder in the U.S.

Multiple & Complex Reasons

Obesity is now considered the number one threat to public health in the United States. Over two-thirds of adults over the age of 20 in the U.S. are considered overweight, and over one-third of Americans are obese. Obesity is a condition in which a person's body mass index or BMI (the ratio of their height to their weight) is over 30. Morbid obesity is a condition where the BMI is over 40 or where the person is more than 100 pounds over their ideal weight range.

Obesity, particularly morbid obesity, can increase a person's risk of a range of other medical conditions, such as diabetes, certain sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Many diseases that are related to obesity can have long-term damaging effects on the body. Sometimes the damage can be so extreme as to be life-threatening.

Obesity is often not simply caused by overeating. One of the reasons that obesity is such a common medical condition is that it is complex, with many genetic and environmental factors influencing a person's weight. Some studies suggest that many prenatal factors can influence a person's susceptibility to becoming overweight or obese. Because of the multitude of factors influencing body weight, people often have trouble with losing excess weight. Many attempt a number of different diets with little success over the course of their lifetime with 95% of diets result in the person regaining the weight they lost within two years, and sometimes gaining even more.

Weight loss surgery may be an option for people who have experienced multiple failed attempts at dieting. Surgical options tend to have a high rate of success in losing weight and keeping it off.