A person is said to be obese if their body mass index (BMI) score is greater than 30. It is one of the leading preventable health conditions in the developed world, though some cases of obesity are not necessarily caused by dietary and lifestyle factors, but rather genetics. Obese people are at elevated risk for a wide range of medical conditions, including heart attack, stroke, diabetes and sleep apnea. While the condition can be treated through modifications to the patient’s diet and lifestyle, including calorie reduction and increased levels of physical activity, surgical interventions such as lap band surgery to decrease the size of the stomach are becoming increasingly widespread.
