Welcome to the Obesity Resource Center
If you or someone you care about is struggling to maintain a healthy weight, you’re not alone. Most American adults are overweight or obese. The good news? There are many ways to manage your weight, and you’ll find helpful information and resources about them here.
Overview
What is obesity?
Obesity is a medical condition in which too much body fat negatively impacts your health. It is healthy to have some body fat. In fact, a healthy level of body fat is needed to survive. But too much fat can be harmful to your body.
Obesity is most often measured by Body Mass Index (BMI), a calculation of body weight compared with height. BMI isn’t the only way to measure healthy weight. There are other factors involved (like muscle mass), but national guidelines define obesity based on BMI:
- Someone is a healthy weight if their BMI is 18.5–24.9.
- Someone is overweight if their BMI is 25.0–29.9.
- Someone has obesity if their BMI is 30 or higher.
To figure out your BMI, use this online calculator.
How does obesity impact health?
Obesity can have many harmful health effects. It impacts your body because of the way fat cells act. For instance, having excess fat cells can cause low-level inflammation (swelling) throughout your body. This can harm your blood vessels, muscles (including the heart), and organs (like the liver and pancreas). Inflammation can raise your risk for many types of cancer. It can also cause joint and muscle pain as well as breathing problems at night (called obstructive sleep apnea).
Studies have shown a link between obesity and a higher risk of many health issues, including:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Certain types of cancer (like endometrial, breast and colon cancer)
- Infertility
- Osteoarthritis
- Depression
- Sleep apnea
- Chronic pain
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- High triglycerides
What causes obesity?
There are many things that can raise a person’s risk of obesity:
But there are many things you can do to help prevent or treat obesity. If you’re looking for help, you’re not alone and you’re in the right place.
Treatment options
Decision tool
How to talk with your health care provider about weight loss and treatment options:
If you think your weight may be impacting your health, it’s important to talk with your health care provider about your concerns and what your options are. It can be a hard topic to bring up, but open communication with your provider is a key step in being healthy.
Don’t wait for your health care provider to bring it up. Use this tool to get the conversation started. When your provider understands your health, personal history and goals, you can work together to find the option(s) right for you.
Consider asking these questions to start the conversation.
- Does my current weight put me at risk for health issues?
- What health issues am I at risk for?
- How would you recommend I try to manage my weight?
- What should my weight loss goal be?
- What are the next steps for me?
Describe your health concerns, including any conditions you may have.
- Tell your provider about any conditions you have. They may be related to weight or inform what weight loss options might be best for you.
- Remind them of any medications you are currently taking.
Explain where you are on your weight loss journey.
- Tell your provider about your history, including how long you’ve been at your current weight, and whether you’ve gained or lost weight throughout your life.
- Outline any past efforts to lose weight and what approaches you’ve tried. Consider filling out this chart before your visit and bringing it with you.
- Tell them how you’re feeling about your weight. This can be hard, but it’s important for them to understand what you’re experiencing.
- Talk about your health goals and hopes for the future.
Ask what option(s) might be right for you.
Here are factors your health care provider will likely want to discuss and consider before making any recommendations:
- Your overall health and any conditions you have.
- Your past efforts to lose weight.
- Your health goals.
- Your Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a calcuation based on your height and weight. It’s one of the main ways health care providers think about weight and what options are right for different people.
Once your health care provider understands your health history, profile and goals, together you can discuss the weight loss options that might be right for you. They might include one or more of the following approaches.
Lifestyle changes
Healthy eating and regular physical activity are two of the best things for weight management and overall wellness. Learn more about these healthy habits.
Prescription drugs
Endoscopic procedures
Surgical procedures
Your health care provider may discuss weight loss surgery with you if you have obesity and it poses risks to your health. These procedures involve sealing off a portion of the stomach (called restriction), and some also limit what your body can absorb (called malabsorption). They are significant surgeries that often involve weight loss beforehand. They usually require ongoing lifestyle changes and monitoring by your health care team.
Based on your health care provider’s recommendations, ask these important questions:
- How effective is this approach for most people?
- Would this be safe for me?
- What are the potential risks or side effects?
- What would I need to do before to get ready for the treatment?
- What will I need to do afterward to make sure this treatment is safe and effective?
Obesity, GERD and NAFLD
Obesity can increase the risk of many health conditions, including gastroenterological conditions (also called GI conditions, which are related to the digestive system). Maintaining a healthy weight is a key factor in improving certain digestive health issues, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Insurance coverage
If you’re considering obesity or weight management counseling or treatment, you may want to know what your health insurance plan will — or will not — cover. Some weight loss programs, services and treatments are covered by insurance plans. But each plan is different, so it’s important to check with your insurance provider.
Reviewed by Andres Acosta, MD, PhD and Pooja Singhal, MD.
This program is supported by an independent grant from Novo Nordisk.
Questions and resources for every stage of your weight loss journey
Are you just starting out on your weight loss journey?
Do you want some help talking with your health care provider about weight loss?
Do you have GERD or NAFLD and wonder if weight loss can help?
Do you want to know what weight loss options your health insurance covers?
