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Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual''s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.The branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment...
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Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. If you are obese, you have a much higher amount of body fat than lean muscle mass.Adults with a body mass index(BMI) greater than 25 but less than...
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention
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Obesity is the condition of having an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, resulting in a body weight more than 20% above the average for height, age, sex, and body type, and in elevated risk of disability, illness, and death.The human body ...
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We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Weighing too much is harmful, but the location of those extra pounds can worsen the risk.
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Detailed information on obesity, including cause, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects
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Obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater, is an epidemic in the United States and other industrialized nations, and it is rapidly becoming one in developing nations. As countries transition to westernized lifestyles, obesity tends to...
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obesity increases the risk for illness from 30 serious medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and several types of cancer.
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects
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Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
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With childhood obesity on the rise, should parents worry about the weight of their babies?
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention
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Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
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Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual''s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.Obesity is defined by both the U.S.
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As your body mass index goes up, so does your risk for health problems. Your blood pressure goes up and so do your cholesterol levels.
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Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
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Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
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Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual''s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.Obesity traditionally has been defined as a weight at least 20...
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The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment
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Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery
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Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment
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There is growing evidence that obesity increases a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. The reasons are still unclear, but obesity affects hormone production, which could in turn be influencing cancer growth.
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Term describing a condition where the ratio of body fat to total body mass is higher than accepted norms.The percent of U.S. children who are overweight is estimated to be between 20-30%, but there is no firm definition of obesity for children and...
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Extreme obesity plagues more than a million teens and young adults, experts estimate. What's a parent to do?
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Detailed information on weight and weight control, including healthy tips for maintaining your weight
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Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders
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Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders
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Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders
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Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders
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Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20 percent or more over an individual''s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.The branch of medicine that deals with the study and tr...
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Bariatric surgery, which helps extremely obese people lose weight by reducing the size of the stomach and intestines, carries a higher risk of death than previously believed, new research shows. Three studies, published October 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found death rates of 3% to 5% for middle-aged adults and more than twice that high for patients 65 to 74, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Among patients 75 or older, 40% of the women and half of the men died, the AP story said.
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Exploring the causes and consequences of America's growing epidemic of obesity.Obesity is not a new problem. Forty years ago, 4 of every 10 Americans were overweight or obese. But obesity is a growing problem, and it's growing quickly; today, two of every three Americans need to lose weight. In the 1960s, obesity was an epidemic; today, it's a pandemic.
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Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery
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Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery
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Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery
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Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery
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More than 19 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and millions more have a condition that puts them at high risk for developing it.
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The American Diabetes Association estimates at least 20.1 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes means having a blood sugar level that is higher than normal, but not yet persistently high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. By taking steps to control your blood sugar, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.
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What is responsible for obesity, how to treat it.At one time it was commonly believed that overweight and obese people were compulsive eaters, anxious, depressed, under stress, or trying to compensate for inadequate upbringing, family conflict, or other deficiencies in their lives. But since then, when almost everyone seems to be getting heavier and obesity has become a national political issue, both experts and the public are turning away from the idea that weight gain is a personal emotional problem. Instead the trend toward obesity has become a subject for biologists and sociologists, regarded as the physical consequence of a general social condition. It's become less clear what role psychotherapists and other mental health professionals should play in managing the problem.
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America is more overweight and out of shape than ever. The result? Soaring medical costs and lost productivity. The U.S. government is working to change that with "Healthy People 2010," its latest effort to show us that national health demands personal health. The drive includes 10 "leading health indicators," modeled after our leading economic indicators.
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A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.
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The prevalence and consequences of obesity and how to treat it; explanation of BMI and waist-to-hip ratio.
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Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling
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Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling
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Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling
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Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling
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Portion sizes are bigger today, and that increase has contributed to the growing numbers of overweight or obese Americans.
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Each overweight or obese American spends $700 more a year on medical bills than trim neighbors, one expert says.
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With two out of three Americans overweight or obese, it's become a community problem. The solution requires cooperation from public and private institutions.
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Obesity has become a public health crisis in the United States, in part, because Americans are consuming more calories than they did 30 years ago. A large part of that increase in consumption can be pinned on a greater use of foods prepared away from home -- those ready-to-eat items available at restaurants, grocery store food counters and fast-food eateries.
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Children whose parents are overweight or obese are at higher risk for becoming obese themselves, studies have shown.
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Obesity is the most common health problem facing children, child health experts say. More than 30 percent of children and teens are overweight, and 15 percent are obese.
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True or false? Most overweight people got that way because they're self-indulgent weaklings without the will power to say no to super-sized french fries and fudge-slathered ice cream.
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We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Many obese adults don't believe they are obese. A small survey (104 adults ages 45 to 64 were polled) found that 71% of normal-weight people placed themselves in the correct weight category, as did 73% of overweight people. However, only 15% of obese people identified themselves as obese. The Associated Press reported April 9 on the survey, done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, an adult who is 5 feet 10 inches tall is overweight at 174 pounds and obese at 209 pounds.
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Experts in one study say the study shows the limitations of the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of obesity, especially because it doesn't account for weight that is muscle rather than fat. A study of 90,000 U.S. women, described in the second article, says the risk of death jumps sharply for extremely obese women -- those at least 90 pounds overweight.
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is warning that obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of several complications, including high blood pressure, a serious condition called preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. The ACOG opinion, published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, says obese women also are more likely to miscarry, to need a Caesarean section, and to have excessive bleeding and infection after a Caesarean section. Babies of obese women are more likely to be stillborn, be born prematurely and have spinal cord abnormalities called neural tube defects. The risks affect women with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30, and are even higher for women with a BMI of more than 30.
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Experts are challenging a recent, widely reported study that suggested being overweight is not associated with early mortality.
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I am 19 years old and weigh 300 pounds. I have tried diets and they don't work. I have had a physical and am healthy except for my weight. I would like to have stomach banding surgery done. Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
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The fact is, you might not care as much about looks as your wife does, but that fat around your abdomen is no laughing matter. A man's potbelly often warns of later problems ranging from heart disease to cancer, diabetes, arthritis, back pain and sleep apnea.
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In populations, blood pressures fit a normal distribution, but the attendant risks of heart disease and stroke increase curvilinearly with increasing levels of blood pressure, without any obvious breakpoint ( Fig. 63-1 ). Thus, the separation of normal from high blood pressure is arbitrary, and the definition of hypertension has been a moving target.
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The lower number is the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart is filling or relaxing before the next beat. Normal blood pressure for an adult is 120/70(on average), but normal for an individual varies with the height, weight, fi...
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Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure.Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury(mmHg) and usually given as two numbers. For example, 120 over 80(written as 120/80 mmHg).The top number is your systolic p...
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of hypertension (HTN) and was adapted from materials published by the NHLBI.
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Primary, or essential, hypertension is caused by external factors; secondary hypertension is related to an underlying disorder, such as a congenital heart defect or kidney disease. Factors that increase the risk of high blood pressure include age(...
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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This report explains what your blood pressure numbers mean and how hypertension can be prevented and treated by making diet and lifestyle changes. Also includes information on medications.
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Each day that your blood pressure is too high, your chances of having a stroke are increased.
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Knowing the definitions of terms your doctor may use when talking with you about your blood pressure is important.
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High blood pressure is a sneaky ailment. The condition has no symptoms that you can see or feel. Having your blood pressure checked is the only way to know if it is high.
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Hypertension is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke, leading causes of morbidity and mortality in North America. Concern has been raised that there is inadequate outpatient detection, evaluation, and treatment of hypertension, and that this is resulting in increased hospital admissions with complications of untreated hypertension: heart failure, and end-stage renal disease .
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Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
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Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
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High blood pressure is more common among African Americans than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have hypertension.
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High blood pressure has joined type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol on a list of ailments that once struck only adults but now afflict children.
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When I get up in the morning, my systolic blood pressure is 30 to 50 points higher than it is later in the day (about 110). I am taking three different blood pressure medications. Is this unusual?
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The National High Blood Pressure Education Program(NHBPEP) was established in 1972 by the National Institute of Health to translate research results on the health hazards of high blood pressure into clinical and public health practice. Before 1900...
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Did you know you can purchase your own blood pressure monitor and check the reading yourself at home?
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While people with high blood pressure are typically told to abstain from alcohol, a study suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may help prevent them from having a heart attack.
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A Harvard Medical School doctor discusses possible causes of low blood pressure.
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Is it absolutely necessary for a diabetic who does not have high blood pressure to take a blood pressure pill anyway?
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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A healthy blood pressure level can reduce your risk for many serious diseases and increase your longevity.
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common chronic adult illness in the United States. There is no cure for high blood pressure, but it can be controlled.
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High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the silent killer. This is because many people who have it don't know it. You can take an easy test to see if your blood pressure is too high. If it is high, you can take steps to lower it. Doing so could save your life.
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Risk factors are things that make you more likely to have a disease or condition. Do you know your risk factors for high blood pressure?
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The FDA has approved a new blood pressure drug that works by inhibiting hte production of renin, a substance made by the kidneys that is the first step in the body's system of regulating blood pressure.
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What causes high blood pressure in a 4-year-old?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the very real risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, isn't limited to those 18 and older.Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects almost one in three adults in the United States. But this serious health condition isn't limited to those ages 18 and older, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
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In most cases, high blood pressure responds to treatment, but the success of the treatment is up to you.
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For those living with high blood pressure, lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, and losing weight will likely have a positive effect not just on blood pressure, but on overall health.
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Even if your blood pressure is normal or high-normal, you're still at increased risk for hypertension (high blood pressure), the condition in which your heart works too hard and the resulting forceful blood flow harms arteries.
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High blood pressure can contribute to sexual problems, as can some treatments for it.
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The number of Americans with high blood pressure has risen steadily since the 1960s, and now tops 65 million.
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Is it possible for a blockage in the kidneys to cause high blood pressure? What type of blockage would there be in a kidney?
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If you have high blood pressure, you need to know, so you can control it. If you don't, you increase your risk for serious illness.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries.
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Isolated systolic hypertension, when the systolic blood pressure is above 140 while the diastolic pressure is below 90, is caused by stiffening of large arteries. Medication may be prescribed, but lifestyle changes will have more impact on overall health.
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A study reports that if the vertebra that supports the skull is misaligned, careful manipulation of it may result in a significant drop in blood pressure.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
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An old theory about the connection between headache and high blood pressure makes a comeback.
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The category of prehypertension was established to serve as a warning. Those whose blood pressure reading falls in it should work to lower their pressure through diet, exercise, and weight control, though in some cases medication may be prescribed.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.As blood flows through arteries it pushes against the inside of the artery walls.
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Too much glucose (sugar) in your blood is called hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. It can be caused by eating too much food, especially carbohydrates, by not being active, or by not taking your medication.
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How, specifically, does prednisone raise blood sugar and cause hyperglycemic episodes in type 1 diabetics?
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Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, is the result of either too little insulin or of the body''s inefficient use of insulin. Indicators of hyperglycemia include frequent urination, thirst, high levels of sugar in the urine, and high blood sugar.
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A condition caused by abnormally high levels of glucose, or blood sugar, in the blood, usually as the result of diabetes mellitus.Also known as diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperglycemia develops over a period of a few days as the blood sugar levels of ...
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Hyperglycemia is a complex metabolic condition characterized by abnormally high levels of blood sugar(blood glucose) in circulating blood, usually as a result of diabetes mellitus(types 1 and 2), although it can sometimes occur in cystic fibrosis ...
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In a type 1 diabetic, are the dangers of too-low blood sugar more than too-high blood sugar?
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High cholesterol(hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia) refers to the presence of higher than normal amounts of total cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream. Cholesterol is a fatty substance(lipid) that is essential to the body as protection ...
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The medical term for high blood cholesterol and triglycerides is lipid disorder. Such a disorder occurs when you have too many fatty substances in your blood.
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This report provides the latest scientific thinking about how to maintain healthy blood lipid levels through diet, exercise, and medication.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) estimates that 90 million American adults, roughly half the adult population, have elevated cholesterol levels.The population as a whole is at some risk of developing high LDL cholesterol in their lifetim...
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about the difference between "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol, and whether the good cancels out the bad.
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Cholesterol is a waxy substance that travels in your bloodstream. When you have high cholesterol, it builds up in the walls of your blood vessels. This makes the blood vessels narrower and blood flow decrease. Then you could have a heart attack or a stroke.
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The cholesterol found in low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) is considered most responsible for the formation of plaque. Plaque formation can lead to heart disease.
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The higher your blood cholesterol, the greater your risk for heart attack or stroke. That's why you need to know your cholesterol level.
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An unusual condition can cause painful buildup of cholesterol deposits in certain joint tendons. The Achilles tendon is one of the more common areas this can occur.
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According to the American Heart Association, there are five main types of cholesterol-lowering medications.
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Medication can give you the extra help you need to control your cholesterol. If medication is prescribed, be sure to take it exactly as directed.
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Certain plant-derived substances now being added to a variety of foods may help lower one's cholesterol level.
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The supplement policosanol, whose maker claimed it would lower LDL cholesterol by as much as 25%, was shown in a study to be ineffective.
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What if you don't do well on statin drugs? The other options available for unhealthy cholesterol levels.
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Studies show that a diet low in saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and total fat can lower blood cholesterol levels.
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Statins lower LDL cholesterol by blocking a liver enzyme that helps your body make cholesterol.
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A form of high cholesterol that is inherited, called familial hypercholesterolemia, can cause LDL levels of 200 or higher. Those who have it are at high risk for heart disease.
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High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, but there are other factors your doctor considers when determining how to treat you.
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Besides the nutritional benefits, eating beans regularly can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of a heart attack.
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I'm 53 and on the fence about taking a medication for cholesterol. My father had three bypass surgeries during his lifetime. My cholesterol is high (256), but my good cholesterol is also high (62). My LDL cholesterol is 161. Should I take a medication?
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I take one simvastatin in the evening for cholesterol. I am having more trouble sleeping than normal. Could I take it in the morning?
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True or false? The surest way to keep your blood cholesterol in check is to avoid foods that are high in cholesterol.
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What you eat has a big effect on your body's cholesterol level. Eating certain foods can raise your cholesterol. Other foods can help you lower it. Watching what you eat can help you get your cholesterol level under control.
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Here's a place to keep a calorie count on the snacks you can turn to when fighting the urge to smoke.
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A small but significant percentage of lung cancer deaths occur in nonsmokers. Research suggests that they may get a different form of the disease than do smokers, one that may respond better to certain medications.
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Periodic phone support calls to those trying to quit smoking, in addition to other cessation services, can increase the chance that quitters will not start smoking again.
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