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Summary
Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. The weight may come from muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Both terms mean that a person's weight is greater than what's considered healthy for his or her height.
Obesity happens over time when you eat more calories than you use. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs for each person. Factors that might affect your weight include your genetic makeup, overeating, eating high-fat foods, and not being physically active.
Obesity increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some cancers. If you have obesity, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases. For example, that means losing 10 to 20 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Diagnosis and Tests
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Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Body Mass Index Table
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Screening for and Management of Obesity in Adults (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) - PDF
Prevention and Risk Factors
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Aim For a Healthy Weight
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Balance Food and Activity
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
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Weight Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
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Weight Loss Surgery: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
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Active at Any Size
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Disability and Obesity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Normal Weight Obesity: A Hidden Health Risk? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Obesity (Hormone Health Network) Also in Spanish
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Obesity and Cancer Risk
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
- Obesity and Your Digestive Health (American College of Gastroenterology) - PDF
Specifics
- Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Health Risks of Being Overweight?
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Mind/Body Health: Obesity (American Psychological Association) Also in Spanish
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Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Treating Obesity As a Disease (American Heart Association)
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Understanding Adult Overweight and Obesity
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: congenital leptin deficiency
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: leptin receptor deficiency
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: proopiomelanocortin deficiency
(National Library of Medicine)
Health Check Tools
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Calculate Your Body Mass Index
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- Cancer and Obesity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Diabetes Interactive Atlas (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- FastStats: Obesity and Overweight (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Obesity Prevalence Maps (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Overweight and Obesity Statistics
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults and Youth: United States, 2011-2014 (National Center for Health Statistics)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Obesity
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Cell- and tissue-specific epigenetic changes associated with chronic inflammation in...
- Article: Comparison of oncological benefits of deep neuromuscular block in obese...
- Article: Links between the circadian rhythm, obesity and the microbiome.
- Obesity -- see more articles
- Morbid obesity -- see more articles
Reference Desk
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Glossary of Terms Related to Healthy Eating, Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight Control
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Weight Management and Obesity: General Information and Resources (Food and Nutrition Information Center) - PDF
Find an Expert
- Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- Find a Weight Loss Doctor (American Society of Bariatric Physicians)
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Weight-Control Information Network
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Children
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Obesity in Children: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Dealing With Feelings When You're Overweight (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Men
- Belly Fat in Men: Why Weight Loss Matters (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Women
- Belly Fat in Women: Taking --and Keeping-- It off (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Pregnancy and Obesity: Know the Risks (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Patient Handouts
- Body mass index (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Health risks of obesity (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Obesity (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish