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Obesity
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/obesity.html

Obesity

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Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Prevention and Risk Factors
  • Learn More
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Related Issues
  • Specifics
  • Genetics

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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% 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

Start Here

  • About Obesity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Healthy Weight (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
  • Obesity (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • What Are Overweight and Obesity? From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Body Mass Index Table From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Obesity Screening From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

  • Aim For a Healthy Weight From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Balance Food and Activity From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Learn More

  • Staying Active at Any Size From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

  • Weight Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Weight Loss Surgery: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

  • Disability and Obesity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
  • Obesity (American Society of Anesthesiologists)
  • Obesity (Endocrine Society)
  • Obesity and Cancer From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Obesity and Your Digestive Health (American College of Gastroenterology) - PDF

Specifics

  • Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Obesity (American Psychological Association) Also in Spanish
  • Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Understanding Adult Overweight and Obesity From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Weight Management and Healthy Living Tips From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Genetics

  • Congenital leptin deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Leptin receptor deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Proopiomelanocortin deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Health Check Tools

  • Adult BMI Calculator (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Calculate Your BMI From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Test Your Knowledge

  • Test Your Weight Loss Knowledge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Weight Loss Myths & Facts Quiz (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

  • Diabetes Interactive Atlas (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • FastStats: Obesity and Overweight (National Center for Health Statistics)
  • Obesity and Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
  • Overweight and Obesity Statistics From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Obesity From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Feasibility study of "double-low" scanning protocol combined with artificial intelligence iterative...
  • Article: Effects of reformer pilates on body composition, strength, and psychosomatic factors...
  • Article: Catheter Ablation vs Lifestyle Modification With Antiarrhythmic Drugs to Treat Atrial...
  • Obesity -- see more articles

Find an Expert

  • Find a Nutrition Expert (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
  • Find an Obesity Medicine Clinician (Obesity Medicine Association)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute From the National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases From the National Institutes of Health

Children

  • Obesity in Children: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (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

Topic Image

Obesity

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Body mass index
  • Health risks of obesity
  • Obesity
  • Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)

Related Health Topics

  • Body Weight
  • Obesity in Children
  • Weight Control
  • Weight Loss Surgery

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Obesity is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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