Obesity is a chronic disease that refers to an increase in total body fat. It's defined as weight that exceeds 15 percent of normal weight for height and body type

Causes

Obesity is considered the result of a sedentary lifestyle and the chronic ingestion of excess calories. It's the principal factor for many individuals, but there is evidence of strong genetic, metabolic, and environmental influences in the development of obesity..

Symptoms

The major symptoms of obesity are excessive weight gain and the presence of large amounts of fatty tissue.

For most people, weight gain leading to obesity occurs gradually, over a period of years. As you gain weight, you will notice that your clothes feel tight, and no longer fit. However, symptoms of being overweight and obese can be more serious than just noticing that your clothes are tight.

Treatment

Diets are hard to maintain and usually do not work in the long run. It is very hard to stick with a diet that includes lots of big changes in your eating habits. Instead of a diet, focus on lifestyle changes that will improve your health and achieve the right balance of energy and calories. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. You can do it by eating healthy foods in reasonable amounts and becoming more active.

Current guidelines recommend drug treatment for individuals, especially those with other obesity related health conditions, who have failed to respond adequately to dietary and behavioral modifications. A limited number of medications are available for the treatment of obesity. Phentermine remains available, but is approved only for short term use. Although surgery is the last resort for the treatment of obesity, it can be extremely effective. However, it should be performed at an experienced surgical center,