Why do we want to lose weight?

People want to lose weight for a variety of reasons. And the universal reason for this is to look good and beautiful in the eyes of others.

This is not such a bad thing for anyone to think about. It is because, when we look good, then we feel good about ourselves. And when we do feel good about ourselves we thus improve our own health even better because then our minds are relaxed with that reassurance. Unbeknownst to many, our bodies are either in a state of tension or stress on one hand, and calm or relaxed on the other, depending on what we think and how we feel about ourselves and the environment we live in. This means, our job, family, finances, state of health, our community, religious and political beliefs, our unpaid loans and bills and a plethora of worrisome details that could ruin our thinking, and therefore our health.

Does losing weight actually improve our health?

This question seems to provide the answer itself as most medical opinions would tend to agree that maintenance of an ideal body weight can and does improve one's overall condition especially if they are currently experiencing ill-health.

But as to exactly what the ideal body weight is most likely will depend on some familiar factors like one's job, environment, education, mindset, genetic body construction and lifestyle.

What seems to be important is probably not as much about focusing on these elements as it is about avoiding being overweight.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a condition where excess body fat accumulates thus threatening the physical body with increased health problems. The increased absorption of fat is typically caused by excessive food intake and lack of exercise or physical inactivity. Other factors may involve genetic and glandular disorders.

Excessive food taken by the body creates greater fat absorption which means more food is needed as the body requires more energy to support an overweight person.

Does obesity mean a person is overweight?

Obesity occurs when a person's body mass index or BMI exceeds 30 kg/m. This is obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square (2) of the person's height in meters. In the absence of clear genetic or glandular disorders being overweight is not necessarily automatic proof that a person is unhealthy although he/she may actually show signs of obesity.

If the cause is not a major organ problem, for example, or if it only involves more than average food consumption and the lack of exercise the problem may be remedied by switching to food(s) with less energy density and engaging in physical activity that suits one's general state of health, environment and lifestyle. Obesity may mean that a person could be overweight.

But with the right mindset, being overweight and obese may be overcome with consistency and purpose.