1) What drives an individual to be obese? Excessive food intake leads to the formation of a greater amount of adipose tissue, that is, there is an increase in body weight. This situation can be aggravated if the ingested foods contain a high caloric index. Therefore, the amount of energy contained in the ingested food must be equal to that necessary for the maintenance of our body.
2) Difference from female to male obesity: fat accumulates in different regions of men and women. In women, fat accumulates in the hips and thighs; in man, on the other hand, the accumulation occurs in the region of the abdomen and in the upper part of the body.
We can make a comparison: the obese woman's body resembles the shape of a pear, and the man's, the shape of an apple.
3) Factors that lead to obesity: there are several and among them we can highlight:
Psychological: anxiety is the biggest enemy of those who are overweight, it can lead a person to ingest an exaggerated amount of food;
Genetics: children of obese parents have a predisposition to also be obese, that is, the tendency to obesity is much greater. Studies prove that parental obesity is the biggest risk factor for a child to become obese;
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Cultural: in a particular region where local culture influences eating habits.
4) Fat tissue percentages:
Fit people: 10 to 20% of their weight
Obese: can reach 50%.
The cells that store fat are located in the adipose tissue, this tissue has the function of serving as an energy reserve for the body.
5) How to diagnose obesity?
The most practical way is to adopt a mathematical relationship called the Body Mass Index (BMI), see how to calculate this index:
BMI = weight (kg)
(height)2 (m2)
Below is a table that allows interpreting the results obtained by the equation above.
BMI (kg/m)2) Classification
< 18.5 Low weight
18.5 - 24.9 Normal
25 – 29.9 Pre-obese
30 – 34.9 Obesity class1 (mild)
35 – 39.9 Obesity class 2 (moderate)
> 40 Obesity class 3 (severe)
Example: let's calculate the BMI for a person with 90 kg and 1.70 in height.
BMI = 90 kg = 31.14 kg/m2
(1,70) 2 m2
How would you rate this person? According to the table, she receives the class 1 obese classification, which means that this individual you need to eat with caution so as not to aggravate your condition and evolve into a class of obesity more high.
By Líria Alves
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Five Parameters of Obesity"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/saude/cinco-parametros-obesidade.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.