Don’t dump this article just because you are only overweight - acknowledgment and maintenance are the only things that will keep you from hitting the big fat category. Obesity refers to the presence of excess body fat. The body mass index (BMI) is a useful clinical calculation for diagnosing obesity because it correlates with total body fat, and is relatively unaffected by height. It can be calculated as: BMI = (weight in kg)/(height in meters) 2 The normal range for BMI is between 19.8 and 26.0. Individuals with BMI between 26.1 and 29.0 are overweight, those who have a BMI greater than 30 are obese by definition. Obesity is a serious health problem, and its treatment is difficult, because individuals find it hard to adhere to a program of dieting and exercise. There are multiple epidemiological factors that cause obesity. Some of the causes are: • Age: Obesity can occur at any age, and generally increases with age. Infants with excessive weight gain have an increased incidence of obesity in later life. About one-third of obese adults have been so since childhood. • Sex: Women generally have higher rate of obesity than men, although men may have higher rates of overweight. • Genetic factors: There is a genetic component in the etiology of obesity. Studies have shown a close correlation between the weights of identical twins even when they are reared in dissimilar environments. • Physical inactivity: There is convincing evidence that regular physical activity is protective against unhealthy weight gain. However, sedentary lifestyle particularly sedentary occupation and inactive recreation such as watching television promote weight gain. • Socio-economic status: The relationship of obesity to social class has been studied in some detail. There is a clear inverse relationship between socio-economic status and obesity. However within some affluent countries, obesity has been found to be more prevalent in the lower socio-economic groups. • Eating habits: Eating habits (eating in between meals, preference to sweets, refined foods and fats) are established very early in life. The composition of the diet, the periodicity with which it is eaten and the amount of energy derived from it are all relevant to the etiology of obesity. • Psychosocial factors: Psychosocial factors such as emotional disturbances are deeply involved in the etiology of obesity. Overeating may be a symptom of depression, anxiety, frustration, and loneliness in childhood as it is in adult life. Health education has an important role to play in teaching the people how to reduce overweight and prevent obesity. These days one has access to various appetite suppressants, such as Phentermine diet pills. Phentermine is controlled as Schedule IV agent because it has low ability for dependence or abuse. It is a proven successful diet pill and you can buy cheap Phentermine online too. However, Phentermine along with an effective LEARN (lifestyle, exercise, attitude, relationship, nutrition) program is the best weight loss alternative.