Excess weight and obesity have become serious problems in modern society.
We say a person is overweight when they weigh above 10% more than their
ideal weight. Obesity is defined as over 15% more than ideal weight
The accumulation of excess body fat becomes a pathological process favouring
the appearance of many chronic metabolic disorders such as atherosclerosis,
diabetes and arthritis, causing the obese person to suffer loss of quality
of life and life expectancy, in addition to aesthetic, psychological
and social problems.
OBESITY, A DISORDER OF THE POOR LIVING IN RICH COUNTRIES
An obese population is one of the characteristics of developed nations,
although obesity varies with social class, being more prevalent in those
of limited economic resources.
In the USA, almost 20% of the population is obese and the treatment of
obesity is one of the most serious problems in preventive medicine in
the USA today.
In Europe, 10 % of the population is obese. In underdeveloped areas of
the planet, obesity does not reach 1 % of the population. 20 % more women
are obese than men.
