About Weight Loss Surgery

Obesity

It is necessary to have a certain amount of body fat for the following reasons; it stores energy, acts as a heat insulator and aids in shock absorption. Too much body fat on the other hand can contribute to serious health complications.

Calculating Body Fat
There are ways to calculate how much extra body fat a person has. A BMI table uses a mathematical formula based on a person's height and weight (weight divided by height squared) to determine body fat. A BMI of twenty-five to 29.9 indicates a person is overweight, however anything over thirty is considered obese. This guideline for calculating body fat is widely used amongst health care providers and is considered to be very useful and accurate.

Where a person carries the fat on their body is as important as the amount of fat that they have. Women and men tend to collect fat on different parts of their bodies, women in their hips and buttocks, and men around their bellies. The fat carried around your waist is the more dangerous fat that can later develop into obesity-related health problems.

Weight gain occurs when a person consumes more calories than he or she burns. Genetic, environmental, psychological and other factors can all play a part in weight gain and obesity.

Ideal weights from this chart and be achieved with weight loss surgery.

Genetics
Eye color, hair color, height and weight are all genetic factors that are passed down from parents to their children. Obesity can also be passed down genetically, however some non-genetic factors such as diet and lifestyle habits that are shared within families may also be significant causes of obesity.

Environmental Factors
Environmental factors have a great influence on obesity. How much physical activity a person gets and what they eat can determine how much weight they gain. Changing your eating habits and becoming more active can help keep you in better health.

Psychological Factors
Many people eat out of boredom, loneliness, or anger. These are psychological reasons why people may gain weight. Low self esteem and depression are also reasons associated with overeating.

Illnesses
Hypothyroidism, and Cushing's syndrome are illnesses that people suffer from that can contribute to obesity. Drugs such as steroids and antidepressants may also contribute to this condition making it difficult for someone trying to lose weight.

Unfortunately people can be cruel and tend to think that those who are overweight are lazy, gluttonous and don't care about their appearance. This kind of attitude can promote feelings of rejection and shame. You can also read and share stories with others at Obesity Help.