Obesity: Etiology, Hazards and Treatment

The opening sentence of a recent book on obesity dramatically states: “Obesity is the most prevalent, chronic, medical condition in our society and is directly or indirectly associated with a wide variety of diseases that collectively account for 15-20% of the mortality rate”. Regardless of the controversy concerning the relationships between obesity and physical health, it is clear that: many people want to lose weight, and many people who are overweight (compared to their own desired weights) feel generally lousy about themselves: their mood, self-esteem, and daily behavior may be affected. Obesity results from ingesting more calories than the body uses for energy. “Obesity” is an excess of body fat. “Overweight” refers to an excess of body weight relative to some standards for weight which consider height, age, and sex.