Khalid Amjad Kiyani, Syed Irfan Ahmed, Azhar Saeed, Rizwan Rashid, Kashif Abrar.
Evaluation of Obesity with Identification of comorbidities and risk status.
J Rawal Med Coll Jan ;6(2):82-90.

Obesity and overweight, the most prevalent nutritional disorders in prosperous communities, are the result of an incorrect energy balance leading to increased store of energy mainly as fat. Obesity is a chronic multifactorial disease and like the common cold, has numerous causes. It is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg per m2 or more and occurs when energy intake repeatedly exceeds energy output. By comparison, overweight is defined as BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg per m2. The precise etiology of obesity is unknown but involves genetics, metabolisim, endocrine regulation of appetite as well as psychological and cultural factors. Obesity is associated with other chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, gall bladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory disorders and cancers of colon, breast, prostate and endometrium. In addition, the lowered self-esteem and psychologic suffering caused by obesity may lead to clinical depression. Thus obesity exacts a high toll on individuals and society. Diet related diseases now rank second to smoking as a cause of preventable death.2-4 Obesity-related high health care economic estimates reflect direct expenses, such as hospital care and physician`s fee, as well as indirect costs from lost productivity due to weight associated disability and death. This is a review article.

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