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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity is more than just a cosmetic concern, though. It increases your risk of diseases and health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Being extremely obese means you are especially likely to have health problems related to your weight.

The good news is that even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity. You can usually lose weight through dietary changes, increased physical activity and behavior changes. In some cases, prescription medications or weight-loss surgery may be options.

Symptoms
References
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  3. Bray GA. Etiology and natural history of obesity. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 14, 2012.
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  13. Completed safety review: Xenical/Alli (Orlistat) and severe liver injury. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm213038.htm. Accessed Feb. 16, 2011.
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  16. FDA expands use of banding system for weight loss. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm245617.htm. Accessed Feb. 7, 2012.
  17. Belviq (prescribing information). San Diego, Calif.: Arena Pharmaceuticals; 2012. http://invest.arenapharm.com. Accessed June 29, 2012.
  18. FDA approves Belviq to treat some overweight or obese adults. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm309993.htm. Accessed July 23, 2012.
  19. FDA approves weight-management drug Qsymia. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm312468.htm. Accessed July 18, 2012.
  20. Qsymia (prescribing information). Mountain View, Calif.: Vivus Inc.; 2012. http://www.vivus.com/products. Accessed July 18, 2012.
  21. Publication in Federal Register tomorrow moves Belviq (lorcaserin) closer to launch. Eisai, Inc. http://us.eisai.com/view_press_release.asp?ID=167&press=401. Accessed May 8, 2013.
DS00314 June 7, 2013

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

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