Obesity - Risk factors and Diagnosis of Obesity

Obesity – can lead to further, more serious medical health issues

Obesity is a harmful condition affecting people worldwide, mainly in developed countries. In the UK itself, almost quarter of a population is either overweight or obese.
This has undoubtedly been partly due to more indulgent lifestyles and less active lifestyles. In addition an increase in office style desk jobs is arguably a factor, with less movement and more ‘fast food’ on the go. it has

What are the associated risk factors of obesity?

Obesity linked with many serious and preventable diseases that include heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and cancer. In some cases, obesity can also lead to depression.

Obese people generally have high cholesterol levels that may get worse due to high blood pressure or smoking. In such cases, it is necessary for the sufferer to attend a medical consultation in order to enable the doctor to make an informed decision as to the most appropriate forms of treatment

Tests and diagnosis of obesity

A medical expert will conduct a number of laboratory tests in order to identify the various diseases that are associated with this condition. The doctor will then be able to assess the severity of the condition in order to determine whether a medical procedure is necessary.

It must however be noted that a number of weight reductive procedures are restrictive malabsorptive operations. The former can help reduce the size of the stomach to that of a golf ball and the latter helps reduce the length of the bowel.

It is relatively easy to measure the obesity levels of a patient through the use of a body mass index (BMI), (weight in kilograms and height in meter squared.)

This is calculated through the division of your weight in kilograms by your height in meter squared. There are some pre-defined readings of BMI scale according to which, your obesity level is defined. If your BMI is:

• Between 25-30, falls into overweight category
• Above 30, then you are considered to be obese and may need medical treatment

In many cases, weight loss drugs are considered suitable for the management of obesity. Some of the popular drugs are available only on prescription from a doctor. These drugs include Reductil and Xencial.

If you are eligible for any of these drugs, the doctor can prescribe the most suitable medication via a medical examination. Some patients may also experience allergic reactions to the ingredients of Reductil which is Sibutramine or Xenical which is Orlistat, thus they should avoid their intake for the better.