Obesity has been around for a long time. Obesity is a medical condition where the person has a large store of fatty tissue in them to the point where their weight is probably causing other health issues such as heart problems, diabetes, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis.

One of the primary ways that weight is measured is using the BMI (Body Mass Index). This is not a fool-proof method of classifying people’s weights, however it does serve as a general rule. BMI is calculated by diving the person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. The standard chart is as follows:
A BMI less than 18.5 is underweight
A BMI of 18.5 - 24.9 is normal weight
A BMI of 25.0 - 29.9 is overweight
A BMI of 30.0 - 39.9 is obese
A BMI of 40.0 or higher is severely (or morbidly) obese

Obesity occurs when more calories are eaten per day than are burned off over a long period of time and in significant quanitites. However, there are some medical conditions and other lifestyle factors which will may be a factor in obesity. These medical conditions include:
- genetic disorders such as Prader-Willi syndrome
- Thyroid problems
- Eating disorders (eg binge eating)
- Some medications
- A sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise
- A high glycemic diet
- Weight cycling (yo-yo dieting)
- Stressful lifestyle
- Lack of sleep
- Recently stopped smoking

Quite often, there will be more than one factors present in obese people.

Dieting and calorie control combined with mild exercise can help. In serious instances, some obese people may undergo gastric band surgery where a rubbre band is placed around the stomach meaning that only limited amounts of food can be eaten without feeling full. Other obese people may opt to have a length of bowel removed to stop so much fat being absorbed, however this can leave the patient with severe nutrional deficiencies. Surgery is a last-gasp stop and should not be undertaken or considered lightly.

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