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obesity, condition resulting from excessive storage of fat in the body. Obesity has been defined as a weight more than 20% above what is considered normal according to standard age, height, and weight tables, or by a complex formula known as the body mass index. It has been estimated that 30% to 35% of Americans are overweight or obese.
Causes of Obesity
Obesity research has yielded a complicated picture of the underlying causes of the condition. The simple cause is ingestion of more calories than are required for energy, the excess being stored in the body as fat. Inactivity and insufficient exercise can be contributing factors; the less active the person, the fewer calories are needed to maintain normal body weight. Overeating may result from unhealthful patterns of eating established by the family and cultural environment, perhaps exacerbated by psychological distress, an emotional dependence on food, or the omnipresence of high-calorie foods.
In some cases, obesity can come from an eating disorder. It has been shown, for example, that binging for some people releases natural opiates in the brain, providing a sense of well-being and physical pleasure. Other studies have found a strong relationship between obesity in women and childhood sexual abuse.
Treatment
Radical treatments for weight loss have included wiring shut the jaw, stapling the stomach, and intestinal bypass operations circumventing a large area of the small intestine, limiting the area where food is absorbed. The ?diet pills? of the 1960s, essentially amphetamines such as Dexedrine, are now seldom prescribed for weight loss. Fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, drugs formerly used to achieve short-term weight loss, were withdrawn from the market following concerns that they could cause heart valve damage. Drugs available in the late 1990s included sibutramine (Meridia), which is an appetite suppressant, and orlistat (Xenical), which acts to block absorption of dietary fat in the intestine.
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