They are still considered aesthetic problems when at the same time they are essentially a serious health problem. Obesity and being overweight have become the scourge of western societies and the root cause of many of the disorders that affect their people: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bone and muscle trouble, hypertension and cancer are sometimes provoked and aggravated by carrying around a few extra pounds.

 

Studies suggest there is a greater risk of ovarian, rectal and prostate cancer in people who are overweight, and it has been shown that, as a person's weight goes down, so do levels of blood pressure and cholesterol. Something similar happens with respiratory diseases such as apnea (when people stop breathing while they sleep) which improves considerably if the patient manages to lose weight.

 

Meanwhile, risk of cardiovascular disease is closely linked to being overweight and also how the extra weight is distributed around the body: an accumulation of fat in the abdomen is more harmful than in the thighs or rear end.

But being above your ideal weight offers different treatment methods and risks, which depend directly on how big the number is when you step on a scale. In other words, it is one thing to be eight kilos overweight and another thing altogether to be 25 kilos overweight.

 

You might be able to distinguish between one and the other with the naked eye. But there are mathematical formulas to determine the degree and gravity of one's weight problem and establish the line between it and outright obesity.

The key is the so-called body mass index, which is obtained by dividing your weight by the square of your height.  If the result is a number lower than 25, you are neither obese nor overweight. If the number is between 25 and 29, you are described as being overweight. The degree depends on the number (grade 1 is between 25 and 27, grade 2 from 28 to 29). Obesity starts at number 30, and beyond 40 the problem is considered potentially fatal. 

 

This formula gives an idea of how overweight a person is, but it is not a good idea to rely just on the numbers and not look at other factors. Age, proportions of lean flesh and fat, physical makeup and gender have an influence when it comes to determining if a person has a weight problem.

 

There are two essential preventive measures: diet and exercise. There is no doubt that the 50% overweight rate that has arisen in some countries like Spain is due to a diet too rich in fats. In some cases they make up 40 percent of a person's caloric intake when they should not exceed 25 or 30%. So experts recommend cutting down on fats, eating fruit and vegetables, staying away from industrially-prepared bakes goods and eating lean meat and fish.

 

Exercise is also key. We live in sedentary societies where running and swimming and even walking are now the exception. Moderate and regular exercise is a good weapon against gaining weight.

 

Obesity in minors
One of the gravest aspects of this ailment has to do with children. The number of overweight children is rising, and this is a big health problem because they will probably grow up to be fat adults. An estimated 14 percent of Spain's children have a body-mass index that classifies them as obese. Children do not escape the same factors that cause weight problems in adults: too much TV, not enough play and more sweets and soft drinks than recommended. Other factors that appear to have an influence are weighing more than 3.5 kilos at birth and not having been breast-fed.

 

Medical treatment
Although there is medicine for losing weight, you must be careful with them. They are only recommended in cases of outright obesity. Few in the market are really efficient and of course you must take them only with a doctor's prescription. 

 

The same can be said of operations that reduce the size of the stomach. Despite controversy over some cases that went badly, in general these operations are effective in people with morbid obesity - a grave ailment that carries with it serious problems of mobility and increases dramatically a person's risk of premature death.