WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS - THE MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY AND ITS HEALTH RISKS

It is important to establish what the medical view of obesity should b e. An important step is the development of a standardised definition o f obesity. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has proposed body mass index (BMI) as a simple measure of obesity. Whereas BMI has great clin ical utility, it should be remembered that calculation of a raised BMI does not automatically indicate a high degree of adiposity. This is b ecause BMI does not distinguish between weight due to excess fat, and weight due to a large mass of muscle or bone. Gender and age also have to be considered when evaluating BMI measurements. Obesity is related to many disorders, most of which are metabolic in origin. For example , hypertension and the adverse lipid profile associated with obesity i ncreases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). There is also a pro found association between obesity, particularly intra-abdominal adipos ity, and the development of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (N IDDM). Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. This is paralleled by an increasing incidence of NIDDM. There is no doubt that weight gain and obesity are major clinical problems, which need to be prevented an d managed more effectively. This is essential, given the role of obesi ty in many of the chronic health problems affecting westernised societ ies.