Body weight doesn't tell much about health and fitness status. A crucial part of determining how much one should weigh has to do with what makes up that weight - a healthy ratio of muscle, bone, and fat.

Weight management means keeping your body weight at a healthy level. Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is greater than what is considered healthy. Underweight is a term used to describe body weight that is lower than a healthy weight.

Causes - Obesity

• Sedentary lifestyle


• Genetic factors


• Weight cycling, caused by many attempts to lose weight by crash dieting


• Eating disorders/ Unhealthy eating


• Stress

Causes - Underweight

• Malnutrition


• Anorexia nervosa


• Tuberculosis


• Hyperthyroidism


• Type 1 Diabetes


• Excessive exercising

Risk factors associated with Obesity

• Type 2 diabetes


• Heart disease


• High blood pressure (hypertension)


• High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia)


• Certain cancers (colon, prostate, breast)


• Osteoarthritis

Risk factors associated with Underweight

• Anemia and nutrient deficiencies


• Bone loss resulting in osteoporosis


• Heart irregularities and blood vessel diseases


• Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation in women)


• Increased vulnerability to infection and disease

Did you know?

Globally, there are more than 300 million obese individuals