What is obesity?
Obesity is a disease defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in the body that may impair health. It is a chronic disease, prevalent in both developed and developing countries and affecting children and adults. Obesity is commonly defined as a body mass index (weight divided by height squared) of 30 kg/m2 or higher.

What are the causes of obesity?

•	Increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.
•	Sedentary lifestyle
•	Decreased physical activity
•	Certain medicines such as corticosteroids, antidepressants, and medicines for seizures may cause gain in weight as these medicines can slow the rate at which the body burns calories, increase appetite, or cause the body to hold on to extra water—all of which can lead to weight gain.

What are the most common symptoms of Obesity?
Usually gain in weight gain happens over a period of time and most people come to know when they’ve gained weight. Some of the signs of overweight or obesity include:

What are some of the consequences associated with obesity?
Obesity cause serious long-term morbidity, disability and complications. Risk increases progressively as BMI increases. Raised body mass index is a major risk factor for chronic diseases such as:

•	Cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke) - already the world's number one cause of death.
•	Diabetes – This has rapidly become a global epidemic.
•	Musculoskeletal disorders – especially osteoarthritis.
•	Stroke
•	Gallbladder disease
•	Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
•	Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).

What are the ways to prevent obesity?
Staying at a healthy weight and preventing overweight and obesity can be achieved through living a healthy lifestyle which includes (an illustrative list):

•	Limiting the intake of food items with saturated fats. The main sources of saturated fat are: red meat and whole-milk dairy products, including cheese, sour cream, ice cream, butter, coconut oil and coconut milk, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, and palm oil.
•	Increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts
•	Increase physical activity - at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity on most days.
•	Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water per day. Many times people mistake dehydration for hunger signals in the body and tend to eat more than what is required. Water cleanses and detoxifies all the impurities in your system
•	Limiting the use of TVs, computers, DVDs, and video games, because they crowd out time for physical activity. Health experts recommend 2 hours or less a day of screen time that’s not work- or homework-related.
•	Keep track of weight and other measurements. Monitor your weight, body mass index, and waist circumference on a regular basis.