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Currency: There is no date given.
Relevance: This article gives a wide view the disease. It gives the cause and effects of obesity.
Authority: There is no specific author given but the website is John Hopkins Hospital.
Accuracy: The John Hopkins Hospital is a reliable site for medical help. The article isn't bias towards a certain group.
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to inform people about obesity, and gives a short overview of the disease and its effects.

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Facts about obesity

Overweight and obesity together make up one of the leading preventable causes of death in the U.S. Obesity is a chronic disease that can seriously affect your health.

Overweight means that you have extra body weight, and obesity means having a high amount of extra body fat. Being overweight or obese raises your risk for health problems. These include coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and certain types of cancer.

Public health experts agree that overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in this country and around the world. More than a third of U.S. adults are obese. People ages 60 and older are more likely to be obese than younger adults, according to the most recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. And the problem also affects children. Approximately 17%, of U.S. children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese.

Who's obese?

Overweight and obesity are different points on a scale that ranges from being underweight to being morbidly obese. Where you fit on this scale is determined by your body mass index (BMI).

BMI is a measure of your weight as it relates to your height. BMI usually gives you a good idea of the amount of body fat you have. Your healthcare providers use BMI to find out your risk for obesity-related diseases. Occasionally, some very muscular people may have a BMI in the overweight range. But these people are not considered overweight because muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue.

In general, a BMI from 20 to 24.9 in adults is considered to be ideal. A BMI of more than 25 is considered overweight. A person is considered obese if the BMI is greater than 30 and is considered to have morbid obesity if the BMI is 40 or greater. In general, after the age of 50, a man's weight tends to stay the same and often decreases slightly between ages 60 and 74. In contrast, a woman's weight tends to increase until age 60, and then begins to decrease.

Obesity can also be measured by waist-to-hip ratio. This is a measurement tool that looks at the amount of fat on your waist, compared with the amount of fat on your hips and buttocks. The waist circumference tells the amount of stomach fat. Increased stomach fat is associated with type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease. A waist circumference of more than 40 inches in men and more than 35 inches in women may increase the risk for heart disease and other diseases tied to being overweight.

Talk with your healthcare provider if you have questions about healthy body weight.

What causes obesity?

In many ways, obesity is a puzzling disease. Experts don't know exactly how your body regulates your weight and body fat. What they do know is that a person who eats more calories than he or she uses for energy each day will gain weight.

But the risk factors that determine obesity can be complex. They are usually a combination of your genes, socioeconomic factors, metabolism, and lifestyle choices. Some endocrine disorders, diseases, and medicines may also affect a person's weight.

Factors that may affect obesity include:

Genetics. Studies show that the likelihood of becoming obese is passed down through a family's genes. Researchers have found several genes that appear to be linked with obesity. Genes, for instance, may affect where you store extra fat in your body. But most researchers think that it takes more than just one gene to cause an obesity epidemic. They are continuing to do more research to better understand how genes and lifestyle interact to cause obesity. Because families eat meals together and share other activities, environment and lifestyle also play a role.

Metabolism factors. How your body uses energy is different from how another person's uses it. Metabolism and hormones differ from person to person, and these factors play a role in how much weight you gain. One example is ghrelin, the "hunger

hormone" that regulates appetite. Researchers have found that ghrelin may help trigger hunger and give you a feeling of fullness. Another example is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition in women caused by high levels of certain hormones. A woman with PCOS is more likely to be obese.

Socioeconomic factors. How much money you make may affect whether you are obese. This is especially true for women. Women who are poor and of lower social status are more likely to be obese than women of higher socioeconomic status. This is especially true among minority groups.

Lifestyle choices. Overeating and a lack of exercise both contribute to obesity. But you can change these lifestyle choices. If many of your calories come from refined foods or foods high in sugar or fat, you will likely gain weight. If you don't get much if any exercise, you'll find it hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

Medicines. Medicines like corticosteroids, antidepressants, and antiseizure medicines can cause you to gain some extra weight.

Emotions. Emotional eating-eating when you're bored or upset-can lead to weight gain. Too little sleep may also contribute to weight gain. People who sleep fewer than 5 hours a night are more likely to become obese than people who get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

Health effects of obesity

Obesity has a far-ranging negative effect on health. Each year in the U.S., obesity-related conditions cost more than $100 billion and cause premature deaths. The health effects linked with obesity include:

High blood pressure. Excess weight needs more blood to circulate to the fat tissue and causes the blood vessels to become narrow (coronary artery disease). This makes the heart work harder, because it must pump more blood against more resistance from the blood vessels and can lead to a heart attack (myocardial infarction). More circulating blood and more resistance also means more pressure on the artery walls. Higher pressure on the artery walls increases the blood pressure. Excess weight also raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels, adding to the risk of heart disease.

Type 2 diabetes. Obesity is the major cause of type 2 diabetes. Obesity can make your body resistant to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. When obesity causes insulin resistance, your blood sugar level rises. Even moderate obesity dramatically increases the risk for diabetes.

Heart disease. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, happens more often in obese people. Coronary artery disease is also more common in obese people because fatty deposits build up in arteries that supply the heart. Narrowed arteries and reduced blood flow to the heart can cause chest pain called angina or a heart attack. Blood clots can also form in narrowed arteries and travel to the brain, causing a stroke.

Joint problems, including osteoarthritis. Obesity can affect the knees and hips because extra weight stresses the joints. Joint replacement surgery may not be a good choice for an obese person because the artificial joint has a higher risk of loosening and causing more damage.

Sleep apnea and respiratory problems are also related to obesity. Sleep apnea causes people to stop breathing for brief periods during sleep. Sleep apnea interrupts sleep and causes sleepiness during the day. It also causes heavy snoring. Sleep apnea is also linked to high blood pressure. Breathing problems tied to obesity happen when added weight of the chest wall squeezes the lungs. This restricts breathing.

Cancer. Being overweight or obese increases your risk for a variety of cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. Among obese women, the risk increases for cancer of the endometrium or the lining of the uterus in younger women. Obese women also increase their risk for breast cancers in those who have gone through menopause. Men who are overweight have a higher risk for prostate cancer. Both men and women who are obese are at increased risk for colorectal cancer.

Metabolic syndrome. The National Cholesterol Education Program says that metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome has several major risk factors. These are stomach obesity, high blood triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance (severe type 2 diabetes). Having at least three of these risk factors confirms the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.

Psychosocial effects. People who are overweight or obese can have problems socially or psychologically. This is because the culture in the U.S. often values a body image that's overly thin. Overweight and obese people are often blamed for their condition. Other people may think of them as lazy or weak-willed. It is not uncommon for people who are overweight or obese to earn less than other people or to have fewer or no romantic relationships. Some people's disapproval and bias against of those who are overweight may progress to discrimination, and even torment. Depression is more common in people who are overweight and obese.

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Overweight and obesity together make up one of the leading preventable causes of death in the U.S. Obesity is a chronic disease that can seriously affect your health. Overweight means that you have extra body weight, and obesity means having a high amount of extra body fat.

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currency: studies done from 2015-2018
Relevance: These studies are meant to educate people on obesity. While it is simplifying some if the information it still is useful.
Authority: The piece was written by the staph of Mayo Clinic. due to Mayo Clinic being a collection of hospitals the information comes from a place of many knowledgeable people .
Accuracy: After going over multiple articles from multiple organizations the information is consistent showing it´s accuracy
purpose: Mayo Clinic, while having a few adds, are not trying to sell or persuyou to buy a product.

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Childhood obesity can lead to various conditions, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Learn how to protect your child’s health.

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Currency-  No date to when it was published.
Relevance- The article has a nice overview of the topic then goes into smaller details of importance. Including what the symptoms are and how to get treatment. It explains everything clearly and you do not need to be a doctor to understand the article.
Authority- No author but the Mayo Clinic appears to be credible.
Accuracy-  The mayo clinic is a nonprofit organization and seems very reliable. According to ivcc.edu Mayo Clinic is a credible source for health issues.
Purpose- The main purpose of the article appears to be to inform people who think the may have the issue and then tells them to go to a doctor. It has very good information that can help one determine if they have symptoms and if they do not to worry because there are different treatments.

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Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern. It is a medical problem that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.

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Currency:  There is no published date of the article
Relevance: The article explains how lower cholesterol, lower blood sugars, lower blood pressure, and less stress on bones and the heart, can help a person obtain a healthier lifestyle.
Authority: There is no published author. However, John Hopkins Medicine is the corresponding website.
Accuracy: The article is unbiased with only giving scientific advise to help maintain weight loss. John Hopkins Medicine is a very reliable source by helping people find great health information online.
Purpose: The article is to inform and teach people who have lost weight, how to maintain a healthy balance life by staying active and eating proper nutrition.

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Benefits of maintaining weight loss

While losing weight is difficult for many people, it is even more challenging to keep the weight off. Most people who lose a large amount of weight have regained it 2 to 3 years later. One theory about regaining lost weight is that people who decrease the amount of calories they consume to lose weight experience a drop in the rate their bodies burn calories. This makes it increasingly difficult to lose weight over a period of months. A lower rate of burning calories may also make it easier to regain weight after a more normal diet is resumed. For these reasons, extremely low calorie diets and rapid weight loss are discouraged.

Losing no more than 1/2 to 2 pounds per week is recommended. Incorporating long-term lifestyle changes are needed to increase the chance of successful long-term weight loss.

Weight loss to a healthy weight for a person's height can promote health benefits. These include lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, less stress on bones and joints, and less work for the heart. It is vital to maintain weight loss to obtain health benefits over a lifetime.

Keeping extra weight off takes effort and commitment, just as losing weight does. Weight loss goals are reached by a combination of changes in diet, eating habits, and exercise. In extreme circumstances, people turn to bariatric surgery.

Endoscopic Options for Weight Loss

Some people find it hard to achieve weight loss through diet and exercise. And they're not alone: two thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Weight loss surgery can help, but not everyone is eligible for traditional procedures.

Weight loss maintenance strategies

The strategies that encourage weight loss also play an important role in maintenance:

Support systems used effectively during weight loss can contribute to weight maintenance. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 55% of registry participants used some type of program to achieve their weight loss.

Physical activity plays a vital and essential role in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that even exercise that is not rigorous, such as walking and using stairs, has a positive effect. Activity that uses 1,500 to 2,000 calories per week is recommended for maintaining weight loss. Adults should try to get at least 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous level physical activity at least 3 to 4 times per week.

Diet and exercise are vital strategies for losing and maintaining weight. Ninety-four percent of the registrants in the National Weight Control Registry increased their physical activity.

Once the desired weight has been reached, the gradual addition of about 200 calories of healthy, low-fat food to daily intake may be attempted for one week to see if weight loss continues. If weight loss does continue, additional calories of healthy foods may be added to the daily diet until the right balance of calories to maintain the desired weight has been determined. It may take some time and record keeping to determine how adjusting food intake and exercise levels affect weight. A nutritionist can help with this.

Continuing to use behavioral strategies is necessary to maintaining weight. Be aware of eating as a response to stress. Also, use exercise, activity, or meditation to cope instead of eating.

A temporary return to old habits does not mean failure. Paying attention to dietary choices and exercise can help maintain weight loss. Identifying situations, such as negative moods and interpersonal difficulties, and using alternative methods of coping with such situations rather than eating can prevent returning to old habits.

Weight cycling

Weight cycling is losing and regaining weight multiple times. Some studies suggest that weight cycling, also called "yo-yo dieting," may result in some health risks. These include high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, and high cholesterol. However, these studies are not true for everybody. The best strategy is to avoid weight cycling and to maintain healthy weight through a commitment to increased physical activity and healthy eating.

One myth about weight cycling is that a person who loses and regains weight will have more difficulty losing weight again and maintaining it compared to a person who has not gone through a weight-loss cycle. Most studies show that weight cycling does not affect the rate at which the body burns fuel. Also, a previous weight cycle does not influence the ability to lose weight again. In addition, weight cycling does not increase the amount of fat tissue or increase fat distribution around the stomach.

Always talk with your healthcare provider for more information.

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obesity weight loss maintenance strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While losing weight is difficult for many people, it is even more challenging to keep the weight off. Most people who lose a large amount of weight have regained it 2 to 3 years later. One theory about regaining lost weight is that people who decrease the amount of calories they consume to lose weight experience a drop in the rate their bodies burn calories.