The Medical Risks of Obesity

Abstract

Obesity is associated with a number of medical con- ditions that lead to increased morbidity and increased mortality. Both the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization define obe- sity as a body mass index (BMI) ~30 kglm2 and over- weight as a BMI 25-30. The most common conditions associated with obesity are insulin resistance, dia- betes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardio- vascular disease, gallstones and cholecystitis, sleep apnea and other respiratory dysfunction, and the increased incidence of certain cancers. These are discussed below