BMI only takes into consideration someones height and weight.
So what does obesity really mean?
Heres what you oughta know about howobesityis diagnosed and what it does and doesnt say about an individuals health.
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What is obesity?
Obesity is a serious, common and costly chronic disease, according to theCDC.
It is currently defined solely by an individuals BMI.
Pre-clinical obesity is defined as a condition of obesity with normal organ function.
How do healthcare providers diagnose obesity?
Currently, anyone with a BMI of 30 or above meets the diagnostic criteria for obesity.
Essentially, BMI is a measure of body sizenot body composition, metabolic health, or disease risk.
Accurately diagnosing weight-related health issues is much more nuanced.
Has BMI had its day?
For starters, plenty of people with an overweight or obese BMI do not have excessive fat.
We all have different muscle mass as we all have different genetic components.
BMI doesnt take into account any of that, says Bar.
We need to look at different measures to define obesity.
What are the health risks associated with obesity?
Obesity is correlated with an increased risk of serious chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
They also dont control for how weight stigma affects the healthcare people receive and their willingness to access healthcare.
What are the main causes of obesity?
Biological causes of obesity include lifestyle factors like poor sleep, poor nutrition, and being mostly sedentary.
Culturally, weight stigma and relentlessly unrealistic beauty standards may also contribute to weight gain.
We call that weight cycling.
How is obesity treated?
They should be used when all measures have failed but theyve sort of become this first line treatment.
Wanting to work with your doctor on a weight management strategy is not a bad thing, Erlanger says.
We know that helping people live in environmentally and physically safe places helps them live longer.
And we know that access to a wide variety of nourishing foods improves health, she says.
Regardless of whether it lowers weight.
