Overweight

In overweight body accumulates more fat than is necessary for good health. Overweight is a frequent finding when there is excessive food consumption against the background of sedentary life. At present, overweight attained the levels of worldwide epidemic and embraces all age groups.
Healthy body needs reasonable amounts of fat for the correct performance of immune, hormonal, and reproductive systems. Fat is necessary as an energy source, thermal insulator, and shock absorber. However, the accumulation of excessive fat weakens mobility, plasticity, and worsens body appearance.
The level of overweight is described by body mass index. BMI - body mass index is considerably more perfect illustration of fat content than direct weight appraisal. BMI is a precise characterization of overweight among adults.
Overweight is caused by consuming more food calories than are burnt by the body. Among factors contributing to this condition are metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalance, stress, bad sleep, smoking cessation, stimulant withdrawal, insufficient physical activity, sedentary style of life, alcoholism, and genetic predisposition.
Overweight creates comparable with obesity health problems, but these problems are less pronounced. Overweight people may experience significant psychological discomfort. Death risk is by 20 - 40 % higher among overweight individuals. Overweight may lessen life expectancy by 3 years. However, overweight does not influence perceptibly upon mortality in older people.
People should be treated for overweight to diminish the weight, improve health condition, way of life, and appearance. The best treatment for overweight is healthy diet combined with increased physical activity.