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Overweight and obesity? Know the difference

Overweight and obesity? Know the difference

Edited by: at 10/10/2023

To treat issues of overweight or obesity it is important to go to an endocrinologist.

Dr. Sigfrido Miracle López

It is important to mention that overweight and obesity are different things. Specifically, overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9. BMI is calculated by dividing the patient's weight by the square of his size in centimeters. Then, when talking about being overweight refers to a patient who is at risk of developing obesity, but whose weight has not yet reached the ranks to be considered obese .

Some causes to consider

There are many causes of overweight, but mainly, a bad lifestyle can cause this condition. For example, if a person has a high calorie intake (much more than he burns) and a sedentary lifestyle, he is at risk of increasing his weight. When you exceed your BMI of 25, you are talking about being overweight.

Other factors that cause weight gain are some diseases such as hypothyroidism, which consists of slowing down the metabolism of the patient; Cushing's syndrome, which can be caused by the excess of the hormone cortisol, whose function is to retain calories in the body more than normal; Insulin Resistance Syndrome, which is a predisposition of the Metabolic Syndrome; Or prediabetes or diabetes .

How to know if it is obesity or overweight

To determine if a person is overweight , the second step after knowing how much you weigh in kilograms, is to take a height in centimeters. Subsequently, using a mathematical equation, the patient's weight is divided by the square of his size. If the resulting number is above 24.9 and below 29.9, the patient is considered to be overweight. If the number is above 30, the patient is considered obese. This procedure is complemented by measuring the waist of the patient: a waist above 80 cm in women and above 88 cm in men also refers to weight problems.

Main treatment: lifestyle change

The treatment to combat the overweight is based, mainly, in changes in the lifestyle. A patient who is overweight should not be offered pharmacological treatments, since the excess weight he presents can be controlled very well with activities such as 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week and reduce his caloric intake by at least 500 kilocalories. If the patient has a disease that is causing or favoring this weight gain, treating this disease will be an important part of the treatment.

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism in Huixquilucan