Obesity is a medical condition which in some developing countries has increased to almost epidemic proportions. Obesity is a condition that is created when excess body fat has grown to the extent that it will have an adverse effect on your health, leading to a shortened life expectancy, or increased poor health.

Obesity does increase the possibility of heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancer. It is most commonly caused by the combination of overeating the wrong type of food and the lack of physical exercise. Dieting and physical exercise are the main treatments for obesity, it is very important to reduce your intake of foods high in fat and sugar, and increase your intake of food high in dietary fiber. Obesity is the leading cause of death worldwide, and authorities worldwide view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century.

It is vitally important to maintain a balanced diet while controlling your calorie intake. Food is made up of various amounts of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts and fiber. A balanced diet must contain all of these nutrients in the correct proportions. Lack of any one will affect the body in different ways.

Before entering into any dieting plan you should consult your doctor, or nutritionist. There are many types of diet available today the most popular being.

1… Low calorie

2… Very low calorie

3… Detox

4… Low fat

5… Low carbohydrate

Dieting, especially extreme food intake reduction and rapid weight loss can have side effects, including prolonged hunger, depression, fatigue and reduced sex drive.

The body mass index or (BMI) is a measure which compares the weight and height of a person, if you have a BMI of over 30 you are classed as obese, a guide to the body mass index is.

Under 18.5 Underweight

18.5 to 24.9 normal

25 to 29.9 overweight

30 to 34.9 class 1 obese

35 to 39.9 class 2 obese

over 40 class 3 obese.

Some people consider dieting to be boring or very hard to keep up, but it does not have to be that way, you see there is no such thing as unhealthy food, but there is such a thing as unhealthy cooking. Learning to cook your food in a healthy manner can suddenly turn dieting into a whole new outlook.