Facts About Obesity

What is Obesity? "Few die of hunger. Many die of eating." - Benjamin Franklin Obesity is a condition in which a person has excess of body fat that could impair health. Obesity increases an individual’s risk for various diseases, disabilities, and death. Fat is a great source of reserve energy for the body. It also acts as an insulator. It is fat that gives the body its smooth contour and its beautiful look. A normal person has about 30 to 35 billion fat cells. Initially, when a person gains weight, the fat cells grow in their size but later on, if the weight is not controlled the number of fat cells start increasing. Weight loss results in decrease in size of the cells and not their number. The normal fat cells are 0.4 to 0.6 microgram in weight; the cells of an obese person can weigh as much as 1.2 micrograms. Genetics, family history, sex and age determine the ‘size’ of the individual. The rate at which a person metabolizes food and his Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) are determined by his genetic factors.