Fat distribution can influence a person's risk of disease. Fat carried around the waist and in the abdominal area, characterized by the "apple shape", is associated with an increased risk for many medical problems such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Fat that is mostly distributed around the buttocks and thighs is associated with a lower risk of developing these diseases.

Obese people should be evaluated for medical consequences of their obesity. Motivated persons are encourage to enter medically supervised treatment programs that use a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss.

To achieve lasting weight loss, commitment must be given to making real changes in eating patterns. Individuals are who not committed will gain back their weight.

During the holidays or when celebrating, many of us have overeaten. But some people have problems controlling their appetite and end up eating non-stop until eating is interrupted.

Binge eating can be triggered by many things such as stress, depression, loneliness or anger. Food is used as a way of dealing with issues other than hunger.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is estimated to be present in up to 5 percent of teenage and young adult women. It is characterized by binge eating followed by purging and other behaviors such as vomiting. Laxatives, diet pills, water pills, exercise or fasting may also be used.

Binge eating is like bulimia, but does not include purging behaviors. A diagnosis of binge-eating disorder is made when a person binges an average of two days per week over a six month period.

Binge eating can be difficult to control because many people turn to food as a way of dealing with their feelings. Keeping a food diary can be beneficial in identifying specifically what feelings are likely to trigger binge eating as well as what types of foods are consumed during a binge. Strategies can then be employed to reduce the urge to binge when the impulse strikes.

Obesity is a chronic disease that affects many people and often requires long-term treatment to promote and sustain weight loss. As in other chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, long-term use of prescription medications may be appropriate for some individuals

The medications most often used in the management of obesity are commonly known as "appetite suppressant" medications. Appetite suppressant medications promote weight loss by increasing metabolism and by decreasing appetite or increasing the feeling of being full. These medications work by increasing the serotonin and/or catecholamine - two brain chemicals that affect mood, appetite and metabolism.

The most recent drug in the fight against obesity is Xenical. A new class of non-systemic anti-obesity drug called lipase inhibitors which act in the gastrointestinal tract to prevent the absorption of fat by about 30 percent. Drugs in this class do not achieve their effect through brain chemistry or central nervous system stimulation. In other words, Xenical is not an appetite suppressant or metabolic inducer.

While the FDA regulates how a medication can be advertised or promoted by the manufacturer, these regulations do not restrict a doctor's ability to prescribe the medication for different conditions, in different doses, or for different lengths of time.

Several appetite suppressant medications are available to treat obesity. In general, these medications are effective, leading to an average weight loss of five to twenty-two lbs. above that expected with non-drug obesity treatments.

Maximum weight loss usually occurs within six months of starting medication treatment. Weight tends to level off or increase during the remainder of treatment. Studies suggest that if a patient does not lose at least four pounds over four weeks on a particular medication, then that medication is unlikely to help the patient achieve significant weight loss.

Obesity often is viewed as the result of a lack of willpower, weakness, or a lifestyle "choice" - the choice to overeat and under exercise. The belief that persons choose to be obese adds to the hesitation of health professionals and patients to accept the use of long-term appetite suppressant medication treatment to manage obesity.

However obesity, is more appropriately considered a chronic disease than a lifestyle choice. Other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, and high blood pressure, are managed by long-term drug treatment, even though these diseases also improve with changes in lifestyle, such as diet and exercise. Although this issue may concern physicians and patients, social views on obesity should not prevent patients from seeking medical treatment to prevent health risks that can cause serious illness and death.

Many people are motivated to diet by wanting to be thin and attractive like the models we see everywhere - on TV and in magazines. What is far more important is that a leaner body reduces the risk for certain diseases.

The risk of developing weight associated medical problems increases if the majority of body fat is located in the abdominal area. This risk decreases if body fat is primarily located in the hips, buttock and thigh region.

Height and weight tables are generally used to determine how person's weight compares to a standard. However, weight in these tables is an overall measure of all components of the body. Individuals may differ in muscle, frame size and percentage of body fat. The waist to hip ratio of body composition assessment provides information on where the majority of body fat is located.

Terms interpretation

FDA

• Food and Drug Administration: A government agency that oversees public safety in relation to drugs and medical devices. The FDA gives approval to pharmaceutical companies for commercial marketing of their products.

Fat blocker

• Drugs that block the absorption of fat or calories, and lose substantial weight.

Overweight

• Weighing more than is normal, necessary, or allowed, especially having more body weight than is considered normal or healthy for one's age or build.

Appetite

• An instinctive physical desire, especially one for food or drink. Decreased desire to eat is termed anorexia, while polyphagia (or "hyperphagia") is increased eating. Disregulation of appetite contributes to anorexia nervosa and cachexia, or oppositely, overeating.

Diabetes

• Any of several metabolic disorders marked by excessive discharge of urine and persistent thirst, especially one of the two types of diabetes mellitus.

Diet

• A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss.


• A solutions designed to reduce or suppress the appetite.

Fat

• Any of various soft, solid, or semisolid organic compounds constituting the esters of glycerol and fatty acids and their associated organic groups.

Obesity

• The condition of being obese; increased body weight caused by excessive accumulation of fat.

Stress

• A state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain.


• A physical and psychological response that results from being exposed to a demand or pressure.

Suppress

• To curtail or prohibit the activities of.


• To inhibit the expression of (an impulse, for example).


• To bring to an end forcibly as if by imposing a heavy weight.

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