What is Obesity
Obesity occurs when there is an excess amount of fat in one's body. According to most references, a person is classified as obese if they have a BMI of 30 or higher. Many classify obesity as a disease that affects the rest of one's body in negative ways, leading to increased stress on the heart and other organs.

People with a BMI of 25-29 are typically classified as overweight, however they also take the risk of becoming obese if they do not change their lifestyle or seek medical treatment.

Obesity Symptoms
In today's world, obesity is becoming more and more important to understand, especially when confronted with it yourself or with those close to you. Not only can it cause bodily disfigurations to occur, but it can also lead to putting stress on vital internal organs like the lungs and heart. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, strokes and cancer are all linked today with obesity. Some scientists are even saying that obesity might be even more dangerous than smoking! In order to find out whether you or someone you know is obese, it can greatly help to look at common symptoms that obesity is linked with.

The following are symptoms that often indicate whether a person is overweight or not. While these are the most common characteristics of obesity, they are not the only ones. Also, it's very typical that some people not recognize obesity in themselves. In order to get a true diagnosis, it is always a good idea to consult with your doctor before attempting a treatment plan.

Obesity Treatment
Millions of people around the world are becoming more and more concerned about obesity. Not only can it affect one's health dramatically by putting pressure on joints and internal organs, but it can also negatively impact our whole psychological and behavioral system. Because of so many of the risks involved with obesity, it's important to seek treatment right away if overweight or obese. What are some of the things we can do? In this article, we'll explore some of the options available today.

Diet Therapy
Because diet is directly linked with the amount of fat in our body, it is also one of the leading factors of obesity. If eating poor, unbalanced meals that are devoid of enough nutritional values, we automatically increase our risks of obesity. Therefore, individuals who are already obese should definitely focus on changing their eating habits if they want to successfully lose the excess fat. In order to do this, what kinds of foods should they look out for?

First off, they should avoid eating too many fatty or unhealthy foods, like fried foods, cakes, creamy sauces, etc. Buy lots of vegetables and fruits. When buying grains, look for whole-grains, multi-grains, or other healthy alternatives to processed "white" foods. Limit the amount of meat you have each day to about the size of the palm of your hand. Other ways to get protein include consuming nuts, seeds, and cheeses. Also, make sure to drink enough water each and every day.

When getting food at fast food or other restaurants, order things that have as much nutritional content as you can get. For example, many restaurants offer salads or vegetable dishes.

Physical Activity
Because our lives often entail a lot of sitting because of driving time and office jobs, many of us don't get the amount of exercise we really need. However, in order to burn fat, it's really important that we do get enough activity into our day. How? Well, some of us can wake up earlier to take a walk. Others can park a little farther from the grocery store in order to get a little exercise in. Some of us can even join a gym or get a personal trainer. No matter what your lifestyle, it's very important to find some way of getting more activity into your life. Even if it's just a little improvement, it can often show dramatic results in the way you feel.

Behavioral Therapy
Sometimes the reasons why we eat too much or can't get enough exercise in are due to emotional and other problems. Often, we know when this applies to us, because it seems like the reasons for obesity runs deeper than just an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. In order to change our behavior, it's often important to join a group with similar-minded people or to seek help from friends and family. Even if you do it alone, make sure that you focus on exploring exactly what the problem is, being aware of it, and building yourself up so that you can combat stress and emotional problems.