Obese means having much of body fat that the health is at risk. Too much body fat can lead to heart diesease, diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and arthistis.

A measurement called a body mass index, or BMI, decides whether a person’s weight is suffering from obesity. To calculate the BMI - is combination of weight and height. If, a BMI of 30 or higher, it is considered to be extra weight.

Risk Factors and Causes

Many factors can contribute to obesity and overweight, such as, lifestyle choices (e.g., lack of exercise), medical conditions (e.g., hypothyroidism), and genetics (i.e., heredity). When a person takes in more calories than he or she uses, overweight and obesity result. These excess calories are stored in the body as fat, and unless weight-control strategies are put into place, more and more weight is gained.

Most of the people gain weight when they eat high - calories food and don’t exercise enough, but there are some other factors which includes weight gain too:

* Lifestyle habits often affect calorie consumption and exercise. - Lifestyle choices, medical conditions, and genetics contribute to obesity

* Certain social factors also may be linked to obesity.

* Alcohol adds calories to the diet, increases appetite.

* Psychological/emotional issues (Stress and boredom may lead people to eat more and exercise less.)

Obesity and overweight can be genetic (i.e., run in families). Genes have some control over the quantity and location of stored body fat. Therefore, obese parents are more likely to have obese or overweight children.

Weight gain usually happens over time. Most people know when they’ve gained weight. Some of the signs of overweight or obesity include:

* Clothes feeling tight and needing a larger size.
* The scale showing that you’ve gained weight.
* Having extra fat around the waist.