Obesity

How it is used

Used in medicine, public health and research, for example in 'childhood obesity', 'obesity rates' and 'obesity management'. Many professionals use person-first language, such as 'a person living with obesity' rather than 'an obese person'. The adjective is 'obese'.

Example sentences

1. Childhood obesity has increased in many countries over the last few decades.

2. Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Common collocations

• childhood obesity
• obesity rates
• living with obesity
• severe obesity
• obesity management

Related terms

• BMIBody mass index: a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. It is used to classify adult weight as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obesity.
• weight managementThe long-term process of reaching and keeping a body weight that supports health, through eating habits, physical activity, behavior change and, when needed, medical treatment.
• waist circumferenceA measurement around the waist, usually taken midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, used to estimate fat stored around the abdomen.
• type 2 diabetesA long-term condition in which the body does not respond well to insulin or does not make enough of it, so blood sugar stays higher than normal. It is the most common type of diabetes.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• obesity · Medicine

More terms: Energy Balance and Body Weight

• calorie
• energy balance
• calorie deficit
• basal metabolic rate
• body composition
• lean body mass