Because muscle weighs more than fat, a muscular person can have a high BMI, but not too much body fat. Likewise, it's possible for someone to have a low or ideal BMI but still have too much body fat.

You may get a BMI report from school, but the best way to understand BMI is to talk to your doctor. Obesity increases the chance of having asthma. Breathing problems related to weight can make it harder to keep up with friends, play sports, or just walk from class to class. Sleep apnea.

This condition where a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep is a serious problem for many overweight kids and adults. Sleep apnea can leave people feeling tired and having trouble paying attention and learning. It also may lead to heart problems. High blood pressure.

When blood pressure is high, the heart has to work harder. If the problem continues for a long time, high blood pressure can damage the heart and arteries. High cholesterol. Abnormal blood lipid levels, including high cholesterol, low HDL "good" cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels, increase the chances of having a heart attack or stroke when a person gets older.

A buildup of bile that hardens in the gallbladder forms gallstones. These can be painful and require surgery. Fatty liver. If fat builds up in the liver, it can cause inflammation, scarring, and permanent liver damage.

Joint and muscle pain. Wear and tear on the joints from carrying extra weight can cause pain and may lead to arthritis in adulthood. Slipped capital femoral epiphyses SCFE. SCFE is a painful hip problem that requires immediate attention and surgery to prevent further damage to the joint.

Pseudotumor cerebri. This is a rare cause of severe headaches in obese teens and adults. There is no tumor, but pressure builds in the brain.

Besides headaches, symptoms may include vomiting, double vision, and other vision problems. Polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS. Although it's normal for girls to have some testosterone the male hormone , girls with PCOS have higher testosterone levels in the blood.

This leads to irregular periods, too much hair growth, and bad acne. Insulin resistance and diabetes. Insulin is a hormone that lowers the level of glucose a type of sugar in the blood.

The body then needs more insulin to keep a normal blood sugar level. For some overweight teens, insulin resistance can progress to prediabetes and diabetes high blood sugar. People with weight problems are more likely to be depressed and have lower self-esteem.

Luckily, it's never too late to make changes that can help control weight gain and the health problems it causes. Those changes don't have to be big. Often, obesity results from inherited, physiological and environmental factors, combined with diet, physical activity and exercise choices.

The good news is that even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity. A healthier diet, increased physical activity and behavior changes can help you lose weight.

Prescription medicines and weight-loss procedures are other options for treating obesity. Body mass index, known as BMI, is often used to diagnose obesity. To calculate BMI , multiply weight in pounds by , divide by height in inches and then divide again by height in inches. Or divide weight in kilograms by height in meters squared.

There are several online calculators available that help calculate BMI. See BMI calculator. Asians with a BMI of 23 or higher may have an increased risk of health problems. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat.

However, BMI doesn't directly measure body fat. Some people, such as muscular athletes, may have a BMI in the obesity category even though they don't have excess body fat. Many health care professionals also measure around a person's waist to help guide treatment decisions.

This measurement is called a waist circumference. Weight-related health problems are more common in men with a waist circumference over 40 inches centimeters. They're more common in women with a waist measurement over 35 inches 89 centimeters. Body fat percentage is another measurement that may be used during a weight loss program to track progress.

If you're concerned about your weight or weight-related health problems, ask your health care professional about obesity management. You and your health care team can evaluate your health risks and discuss your weight-loss options. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

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You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Although there are genetic, behavioral, metabolic and hormonal influences on body weight, obesity occurs when you take in more calories than you burn through typical daily activities and exercise.

Your body stores these excess calories as fat. In the United States, most people's diets are too high in calories — often from fast food and high-calorie beverages.

People with obesity might eat more calories before feeling full, feel hungry sooner, or eat more due to stress or anxiety. Many people who live in Western countries now have jobs that are much less physically demanding, so they don't tend to burn as many calories at work. Even daily activities use fewer calories, courtesy of conveniences such as remote controls, escalators, online shopping, and drive-through restaurants and banks.

The genes you inherit from your parents may affect the amount of body fat you store, and where that fat is distributed. Genetics also may play a role in how efficiently your body converts food into energy, how your body regulates your appetite and how your body burns calories during exercise.

Obesity tends to run in families. That's not just because of the genes they share. Family members also tend to share similar eating and activity habits. In some people, obesity can be traced to a medical cause, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and other conditions.

Medical problems, such as arthritis, also can lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain. Some medicines can lead to weight gain if you don't compensate through diet or activity.

These medicines include steroids, some antidepressants, anti-seizure medicines, diabetes medicines, antipsychotic medicines and certain beta blockers. Social and economic factors are linked to obesity. It's hard to avoid obesity if you don't have safe areas to walk or exercise.

You may not have learned healthy ways of cooking. Or you may not have access to healthier foods. Also, the people you spend time with may influence your weight. You're more likely to develop obesity if you have friends or relatives with obesity.

Obesity can occur at any age, even in young children. But as you age, hormonal changes and a less active lifestyle increase your risk of obesity.

The amount of muscle in your body also tends to decrease with age. Lower muscle mass often leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie needs and can make it harder to keep off excess weight.

If you don't consciously control what you eat and become more physically active as you age, you'll likely gain weight. Even if you have one or more of these risk factors, it doesn't mean that you're destined to develop obesity.

You can counteract most risk factors through diet, physical activity and exercise. Behavior changes, medicines and procedures for obesity also can help.

People with obesity are more likely to develop a number of potentially serious health problems, including:. Obesity can diminish the overall quality of life.

You may not be able to do physical activities that you used to enjoy. You may avoid public places. People with obesity may even encounter discrimination. Obesity care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Obesity is a complex disease involving having too much body fat. More Information Obesity care at Mayo Clinic What is insulin resistance?

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It may be easier for you to make healthier lifestyle choices if. Not getting enough sleep is also linked to weight gain. Experts recommend that adults ages 18 to 64 get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Adults ages 65 and older should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Not getting enough sleep may make you feel hungrier, consume more calories, and be more likely to choose unhealthy foods and beverages instead of healthier options.

Some medicines can affect your energy balance by making you hungry or making your body burn fewer calories. Medicines that may contribute to weight gain include 6.

Some eating disorders , such as binge-eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, may also lead to obesity or weight gain. Both disorders involve eating a large amount of food while feeling a loss of control. In bulimia, people try to prevent weight gain in unhealthy ways, such as by vomiting or using laxatives.

Your chances of having overweight or obesity are greater if one or both of your parents have overweight or obesity. Your genes may also affect both the amount of fat you store in your body and where on your body you carry the extra fat.

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