Health Conditions

What are the risk factors?

Obesity can affect anyone -- there are no defined absolute risk factors. However, it is known that certain groups of people are more likely to become obese. Risk factors for becoming obese include the following:

• Being overweight as a child
• Having a family history of obesity
• Lack of physical activity
• Excessive intake of high-fat food and decreased intake of fruits and vegetables

Studies have shown that certain people are more prone to becoming obese. Groups with a greater risk for developing obesity include the following:

• Mexican-American and African-American women
• Individuals, especially women, of lower socioeconomic class
• Individuals who do not have a high school education

Along with risk factors for becoming obese, once a person is obese, they are at greater risk for developing chronic diseases and suffering from premature death. Common chronic diseases associated with obesity include the following:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• High blood cholesterol
• Cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, stroke, heart attack, and heart failure
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea
• Males: cancer of the colon, rectum or prostate
• Women: cancer of the gallbladder, breast, uterus, cervix or ovaries
• Gallbladder disease
• Liver disease
• Gout
• Menstrual irregularities and infertility in women

The amount of excess fat an individual has is not the only concern when discussing obesity. Where the fat is located on the body is also a concern. Men and women tend to have varying patterns of fat distribution. Women often carry fat on their hips and buttocks, giving their figures a "pear" shape. Men often carry fat around the belly, giving them more of an "apple" shape. Individuals with an "apple" shape are more likely to develop health problems as a result of their obesity than "pear" shaped individuals. To determine whether an individual is an "apple" or a "pear," the waist-to-hip-ratio is calculated. This is calculated by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference. Men and women with a waist-to-hip ratio of 1.0 or higher are considered to be "at risk" for chronic health problems as a result of being overweight.