Obesity, a real disease
Obesity is caused by an excess of fat, which is responsible for excessive weight.
Even if other origins may be involved, this excessive weight is, usually, caused by an imbalance between food intake and physical activity.
A diet rich in fats and sugars provides large amounts of energy. If this energy is not burnt through physical activity, it is stored in the body in the form of fat.
You start gaining weight. If this process continues, it may result in a type 3 obesity level, called severe obesity or morbid obesity (BMI > or = 40).
Obesity: A World epidemic, according to WHO
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The World Health Organisation [WHO] estimates that 400 million adults worldwide are obese and that almost 1.6 billion are overweight (2005 numbers). This is almost one quarter of the world’s population! For 2015, WHO estimates the number of obese adults worldwide at more than 700 million.
In Europe, the number of obese people has tripled in the last 20 years. WHO estimates also that 20% of adults (150 million) and 10% of children (15 million) will be obese in 2010.
Therefore, obesity is considered to be an epidemic by international experts. Apart from physical discomfort, severe or morbid obesity is directly responsible for serious diseases, which can lower life expectancy. Moreover, some people may experience psychological impact and relationship difficulties as a result of being “different”.
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