ABSTRACT
Obesity, which results from excessive intake of calories, is the most common nutritional disorder in the infants, children, and adults of Western civilizations. Its incidence is increasing and it is defined as a body weight that exceeds the expected or ideal weight by more than 10%, taking into account height, age, body build, and sex. An alternative definition is that state in which more than 25% of the body weight in males or 30% in females is attributable to fat (normally 15-18% body weight is fat). Morbid obesity is defined as exceeding twice the ideal body weight. The ideal body weight in kilograms can be estimated by the patient’s height in centimetres minus 100 (males) or 105 (females). Alternatively, the body mass index, which is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres, should not exceed 25 kg/m2 normally, and more than 30 kg/m2 is considered obese. Grades of obesity are illustrated in Figure 44.1.
