Why Obesity is on the Rise Despite Obsession With Exercise and Diet: Do You Know What Your BMI Is?

Understanding why obesity is on the rise despite obsession with exercise and diet, is a growing health concern around the world.    

The World Health Organization (WHO) uses a weight-for-height index in the classification of the word overweight with a body mass index (BMI) greater or equal to 25, as opposed to obesity with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30. More specifically, the calculation of an individual’s BMI “is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2)”. Many people show some level of concern with respect to their weight, but may not know what is causing them to be overweight or obese.

As a person concerned about your BMI in relation to your personal obsession with exercise and diet, the article, “Calculate Your Body Mass Index” gives you the option of determining whether you are overweight or obese.

Why is this important to you as an individual? If you can determine why obesity is on the rise, despite obsession with exercise and diet in your own life, you may be able to rectify the problem and teach others how to do the same. You are probably aware of your specific areas of weakness with respect to weight loss and weight management. Global awareness begins with the individual like you and spreads to communities and countries.

Personally, you may be able to relate to the following suggestion by the WHO. The article “Obesity and overweight” argues that “the fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended”.  

More specifically, it suggests that “energy-dense foods that are high in fat” are part of the problem in conjunction with “increased inactivity”. Solving the problem globally appears to be resolvable by decreasing the energy-dense foods that are high in fat and increasing the activity level of the global population.

This article also suggests that the world population has multiple issues related to obesity, namely “the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation and increasing urbanization.”

The article “Obesity and overweight” also contends “Changes in dietary and physical activity patterns are often the result of environmental and societal changes associated with development and lack of supportive policies in sectors such as health, agriculture, transport, urban planning, environment, food processing, distribution, marketing and education.”

It would appear that globally, there are no immediate solutions and that the problem is too large in scope, but individually and collectively, the two, basic, principles of reducing energy dense foods high in fat and increasing activity are possible. The word obsession, in conjunction with exercise and diet may appear fanatical, but at the same time, these two factors are basic essentials with respect to weight loss and management.

From a medical perspective, traditional versus contemporary resolution of health-related issues with respect to obesity have not changed, although the focus may have shifted from the resolution to the cause. Focusing on the solution can help to bring about effective resolution.