Glossary of Obesity
Terms
Click the terms listed in the glossary
below to learn more about Obesity and Bariatric
Surgery:
Bariatric surgery
is surgery on the stomach and/or intestines
to help the patient with extreme obesity lose
weight.
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Body mass index (BMI):
A measure of body weight relative to height.
BMI can be used to determine if people are
at a healthy weight, overweight or obese.
To figure out BMI, use the following formula:
BMI
= Weight in pounds x 703
Height in inches x Height in inches
A body mass index
(BMI) of 18.5 up to 25 refers to a healthy
weight, a BMI of 25 up to 30 refers to overweight
and a BMI of 30 or higher refers to obese.
The 2000 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, published jointly
by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and
Health and Human Services, provide the most
up-to-date weight-for-height chart. The
healthy weight range in this chart corresponds
to a BMI between 18.5 and 25.
Click here
to calculate your BMI.
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Diet:
What a person eats and drinks. Any type of
eating plan.
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Fat:
A major source of energy in the diet.
All food fats have 9 calories per gram. Fat
helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins,
such as vitamins A, D, E and K, and carotenoids.
Some kinds of fats, especially saturated fats,
may cause blood cholesterol levels to increase
and increase the risk for heart disease. Other
fats, such as unsaturated fats do not increase
blood cholesterol. Fats that are in foods
are combinations of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated
and saturated fatty acids.
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Healthy weight:
Compared to overweight or obese, a body weight
that is less likely to be linked with any
weight-related health problems such as type
2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure,
high blood cholesterol or others. A body mass
index (BMI) of 18.5 up to 25 refers to a healthy
weight, though not all individuals with a
BMI in this range may be at a healthy level
of body fat; they may have more body fat tissue
and less muscle. A BMI of 25 up to 30 refers
to overweight and a BMI of 30 or higher refers
to obese.
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Lap-Band Adjustable Gastric
Banding System:
Made by BioEnterics Corporation of Carpinteria,
Calif., is an inflatable band that is placed
around the upper stomach to create a small
gastric pouch. This limits food consumption
and creates an earlier feeling of fullness.
The band is implanted by laparoscopic "keyhole"
surgery (See below) and is then adjusted over
time ‹ either tightened or loosened ‹ to meet
individual patient needs. Once the band is
in place, it is inflated with saline. Subsequent
adjustments are made through a portal under
the skin. Read FDA
Approves Implanted Stomach Band to Treat Severe
Obesity.
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Laparoscopic Gastric
Bypass:
Laparoscopy is a term given to a group of
operations that are performed with the aid
of a camera placed in the abdomen. Originally,
the laparoscope was used during surgical removal
of the gallbladder (laparoscopic cholecystectomy)
and appendix (laparoscopic appendectomy).
Additionally, exploratory laparoscopy has
often been used for diagnostic purposes to
view the abdomen after abdominal trauma and
in cases of abdominal illness.
Now the laparoscope
also allows physicians to perform minimally
invasive surgery with just a small incision
in the abdomen. This technology, known as
laparoscopic assisted surgery, enables the
minimally invasive removal of the colon,
the kidney (for living donors in kidney
transplants), and weight reducing procedures
such as gastric bypass and vertical banding
gastroplasty (VBG).
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Malabsorption:
Difficulty in the digestion or absorption
of nutrients from food substances.
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Metabolism:
All of the processes that occur in the body
that turn the food you eat into energy your
body can use.
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Monounsaturated
fat: Fats that are in foods
are combinations of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated
and saturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated
fat is found in canola oil, olives and olive
oil, nuts, seeds and avocados. Eating food
that has more monounsaturated fat instead
of saturated fat may help lower cholesterol
and reduce heart disease risk. However,
it has the same number of calories as other
types of fat, and may still contribute to
weight gain if eaten in excess.
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Nutrition: (1)
The process of the body using food to sustain
life. (2) The study of food and diet.
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Obesity:
Having a high amount of body fat. A person
is considered obese if he or she has a body
mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater.
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Overweight:
Overweight refers to an excess of body weight
compared to set standards. The excess weight
may come from muscle, bone, fat and/or body
water. Obesity refers specifically to having
an abnormally high proportion of body fat.
One can be overweight without being obese,
as in the example of a bodybuilder or other
athlete who has a lot of muscle. However,
many people who are overweight are also obese.
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Physical activity:
Any form of exercise or movement. Physical
activity may include planned activity such
as walking, running, basketball or other sports.
Physical activity may also include other daily
activities such as household chores, yard
work, walking the dog, etc. It is recommended
that adults get at least 30 minutes and children
get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical
activity most days of the week. Moderate physical
activity is any activity that requires about
as much energy as walking two miles in 30
minutes.
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Phytochemicals:
A wide range of molecules that can act as
antioxidants. Such compounds counteract the
damage done to DNA cells by free radicals
‹ charged particles produced by sunlight,
chemicals, many foods and simply the stress
of day-to-day living.
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Registered Dietitian
(RD):
A health professional who is a food and nutrition
expert. A person who has studied diet and
nutrition at an American
Dietetic Association (ADA) approved college
program and passed an exam to become a registered
dietitian.
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Saturated
fat:
A fat that is solid at room temperature. Fats
that are in foods are combinations of monounsaturated,
polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids.
Saturated fat is found in high-fat dairy products
(like cheese, whole milk, cream, butter and
regular ice cream), fatty fresh and processed
meats, the skin and fat of chicken and turkey,
lard, palm oil and coconut oil. They have
the same number of calories as other types
of fat, and may contribute to weight gain
if eaten in excess. Eating a diet high in
saturated fat also raises blood cholesterol
and risk of heart disease.
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Severe obesity:
is a chronic condition that is difficult to
treat through diet and exercise alone. Gastric
bypass surgery is the best option for people
who are severely obese and cannot lose weight
by traditional means or who suffer from serious
obesity-related health problems. The surgery
promotes weight loss by restricting food intake
and, in some operations, interrupting the
digestive process. As in other treatments
for obesity, the best results are achieved
with healthy eating behaviors and regular
physical activity.
People who may consider
gastric bypass surgery include those with
a body mass index (BMI) above 40 ‹ about
100 pounds of overweight for men and 80
pounds for women (see table 1 for a BMI
conversion chart). People with a BMI between
35 and 40 who suffer from type 2 diabetes
or life-threatening cardiopulmonary problems
such as severe sleep apnea or obesity-related
heart disease may also be candidates for
surgery.
Source: National
Institute of Diabetes & Digestive &
Kidney Diseases
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Type 1 diabetes:
Previously known as "insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus," (IDDM) or "juvenile diabetes."
Type 1 diabetes is a life-long condition in
which the pancreas stops making insulin. Without
insulin, the body is not able to use glucose
(blood sugar) for energy. To treat the disease,
a person must inject insulin, follow a diet
plan, exercise daily and test blood sugar
several times a day. Type 1 diabetes usually
begins before the age of 30.
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Type 2 diabetes:
Previously known as "noninsulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus" (NIDDM) or "adult-onset
diabetes." Type 2 diabetes is the most common
form of diabetes mellitus. About 90 to 95
percent of people who have diabetes have type
2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes produce
insulin, but either do not make enough insulin
or their bodies do not use the insulin they
make. Most of the people who have this type
of diabetes are overweight. Therefore, people
with type 2 diabetes may be able to control
their condition by losing weight through diet
and exercise. They may also need to inject
insulin or take medicine along with continuing
to follow a healthy program of diet and exercise.
Although type 2 diabetes commonly occurs in
adults, an increasing number of children and
adolescents who are overweight are also developing
type 2 diabetes.
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Unsaturated fat:
A fat that is liquid at room temperature.
Vegetable oils are unsaturated fats. Unsaturated
fats include polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated
fats. They include most nuts, olives, avocados
and fatty fish, like salmon.
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Source: NIDDK:
Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight-Control
Glossary |
