Weight control is often used in the medical field to discuss the management and maintenance of an individual’s healthy body weight. Maintaining a healthy body weight may be different from one person to another. Often the way one would know they have a healthy body weight is through a calculation with the BMI calculator, which is also known as the body mass index. The body mass index calculation will use the individual’s height and weight to complete the ideal weight range you should be in. If your body mass index is calculated at over 30, you are considered obese.

While many will use the number on a scale to indicate if they are within a healthy body weight range or not, others will also use their waistline measurement to confirm if they are within range or not. For women, the healthy waist measurement is around 35 inches or less. While for a man, a healthy waist measurement should be around 40 inches or less.

With body mass index and waist circumference, it should also be noted that each individual will have a different body shape. From pear shape, hourglass, to apple shape, everyone has a different shape which may change the way the weight is carried, and where the majority of the weight is carried.

Being medically considered overweight, and obese, both agree that the individual has excess body fat, but the two are different but similar. Being medically overweight is considered that the individual has some extra body fat. While being medically obese, means that the individual has high levels of body fat.

To figure out where you would fit, a physician would have to determine that for you based on your qualifying factors.

Obesity can occur when the individual’s calorie intake is higher than the output of energy, they can burn off each day. Food should be considered as fuel for your body. This fuel is meant to power you and help you move throughout the day, and to complete all of the activities that are needed to be completed within a day. If you end up taking in too much fuel, it won’t be able to be burned off, and will just idle or sit in your body not serving a purpose.

There are other reasons why obesity can occur, some of which includes:

• Environmental factors – Environmental factors will include lifestyle behaviors which include how the individual stays active throughout the day, and how it may impact their weight.
• Psychological factors – Psychologically, eating is often linked to one’s emotions. From eating when you celebrate to boredom eating, and even binge eating.
• Genetic factors – Obesity can also run in your family and make you more at risk of inheriting the overweight genes.
• Medical conditions – Medical conditions can end up lowering the individuals metabolism, which can be why obesity is caused.

Your body’s healthy or unhealthy weight will play a large role in your health over time. Being overweight or obese can be linked to several different health issues, some of which include:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Particular cancers
• Gallbladder problems
• Gallstones
• Osteoarthritis
• Gout
• Breathing issues include sleep apnea

There are a number of risk factors that put you at high risk for being overweight to obese, these risk factors include:

• Family history of certain chronic conditions
• Existing medical condition
• Body shape that is not considered apple-shaped

Can a doctor help me get rid of obesity? Absolutely! Our specialists at InShape Medical specialize in healthy weight loss treatments and goals. If you are looking to get rid of your extra weight and turn your life around for the better and improve everything by what we have to offer, contact our clinic. Please give us a call or book an appointment for more information. We are located at 107 Edinburgh S. Drive, Suite 215 Cary, NC 27511. We treat patients from Cary NC, Raleigh NC, Durham NC, Chapel Hill NC, Apex NC, Pittsboro NC, and Garner NC.