Obesity Overview

Obesity Video

HOST ON CAMERA: Take a look around: obesity is a serious problem in this country. Roughly 60 million Americans currently suffer from it. That’s quite a number. On this episode of the answered patient, you’ll learn how doctors define obesity. We’ll also tell you what’s putting us at risk. Finally, we’ll sort through the problems associated with this medical condition, and what you can do to treat it.

HOST NARRATION:
Generally speaking, obesity is a condition of severe excess body fat that puts your health in danger.while not traditionally considered a disease, more and more health experts are now calling it just that.

DR. VINCENT BUFALINO: 
If you're overweight, your cholesterol is higher.  If you're overweight, your blood pressure is higher.  If you're overweight, you're more likely to be a diabetic .

DR. ROBERT KUSHNER: Ultimately, it will increase your health risk and reduce your longevity .  So for all of those reasons, we consider it a disease.

HOST NARRATION:
Right now, one-third of U.S. adults are obese. Another one-third are overweight, and at risk of becoming obese. And don’t think our kids aren’t affected. Approximately 9 million American children are now considered obese.

DR. DOUGLAS BIERMA:
Doctors that follow long-term disease trends are starting to feel that this present generation of children will be the first generation in American history to not live as long as their parents.

DOCTOR:  So what is your favorite food…

Kid:  PEPPERONI PIZZA

DOCTOR:  PEPPERONI PIZZA

Host NARRATION: The numbers don’t lie: we have an epidemic  on our hands.

HOST ON CAMERA: 
The term “obese” has a specific meaning in the medical world. In fact, “obese” and “overweight” mean two different things. And both revolve around a number called the body mass index, or bmi. Bmi is the most common tool  in determining obesity. It’s a formula that estimates bodyfat by comparing your weight relative to your height. It’s calculated by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared. That value is then multiplied by 703.

HOST NARRATION: 
There are four ranges of bmi for adults: below 18.5 is considered underweight. 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, or healthy. 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight. And 30.0 and above is considered obese. Experts agree: bmi is a useful tool. But it‘s not perfect.

DR. ROBERT KUSHNER:
BMI from a practical point of view is very useful because in general, if you take 100 people in this country, the higher the BMI the fatter the individual issue going to be. But there are always exceptions because the individual who's BMI is 32 that's an obese classification and yet they're very muscular.

Host NARRATION: Because bmi can’t distinguish fat from muscle or bone weight, other methods can be used in diagnosing obesity, such as calipers and the dexa machine.

DOCTOR:  No history of diabetes, you’ve been tested for that… 

Host NARRATION: Or a routine physical exam. And assesments of your diet, physical activity, and family history are also important. And while obesity does cross gender, age, and economic lines, some people are more at risk than others.

DR. ROBERT KUSHNER: The prevalence of obesity is greater in women than men  and we know that is particularly true among minority women .

HOST NARRATION:
Obesity is triggered by a number of things. One of the biggest: the realities of modern life. We live in a fast food nation. We drive rather than walk. We work long hours when we should be working out. Modern luxuries, combined with high-calorie diets, are a huge source of the obesity problem.

HOST ON CAMERA:
But it’s not just the environment and our behavior that’s packing on the pounds. Obesity also tends to run in families. Genes, and shared family habits, can promote excess weight gain. And when that excess weight makes you obese, the health effects can be devastating.

DR. ROBERT KUSHNER : Obesity is one of the medical conditions that probably causes more health risk in more organs throughout the body than any other problem that I know of .

HOST NARRATION: Obesity is at the center of a number of medical problems. Heart disease and type 2 diabetes are among the most serious. Obesity is a principle risk factor for type 2 diabetes. More than 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.

DOCTOR:  Lets have you step up here OK?

Host NARRATION: Obesity also affects the joints.

DR. VINCENT BUFALINO: When you're carrying extra weight, it beats up your knees, it beats up your hips -- uh -- and it beats up you know the feet. And so these people tend to have more orthopedic issues just because they're carrying more weight around

Host NARRATION: Obesity doesn’t just impact the health of adults.

DR. DOUGLAS BIERMA:
The problems that you see in children who are obese are very similar to the problems that you see in adults who are obese, Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, coronary artery disease –- uh –- joint problems, body image problems, psychological problems, inflammation problems, you name it.

HOST ON CAMERA:
Obesity is treatable, and preventable. Your doctor can help you develop a healthy diet and exercise plan. There are also a number of drug and surgicial options that might be right for you. You can learn more about this in our chapter, “how do i control it”. If you or someone you love is battling obesity, you’re not alone. The answered patient is here to provide you with the knowledge you need to take control of this medical problem.

HOST ON CAMERA: In other chapters of this episode…

HOST NARRATION: You’ll learn more about how obesity is diagnosed … get some science on what it does to your body … and we’ll give you useful tips on how you can better control your weight. In our “personal stories” chapter, you’ll meet real doctors and patients who are battling obesity … and winning.