Obesity is a condition in which the
natural energy reserve, stored in the
fatty tissue of humans and other
mammals, is increased to a point where
it is associated with certain health
conditions or increased
mortality.
Obesity is both an individual clinical
condition and is increasingly viewed as
a serious public health problem.
Excessive body weight has been shown to
predispose to various diseases,
particularly cardiovascular diseases,
diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea,
and osteoarthritis.
Obesity can be defined in absolute or
relative terms. In practical settings,
obesity is typically evaluated in
absolute terms by measuring BMI (body
mass index), but also in terms of its
distribution through waist
circumference or waist-hip
circumference ratio measurements. In
addition, the presence of obesity needs
to be regarded in the context of other
risk factors and comorbidities (other
medical conditions that could influence
risk of complications).
