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INTRODUCTION
Obesity
is a
leading
preventable
cause of
death
worldwide,
with
increasing
prevalence
in
adults
andchildren,
and
authorities
view it
as one
of the
most
serious
public
health
problems
of the
21st
century.
Overweight
and
obesity
are
defined
as
abnormal
or
excessive
fat
accumulation
that
presents
a risk
to
health.
A crude
population
measure
of
obesity
is the
body
mass
index
(BMI), a
person’s
weight
(in
kilograms)
divided
by the
square
of his
or her
height
(in
metres).
A person
with a
BMI of
30 or
more is
generally
considered
obese. A
person
with a
BMI
equal to
or more
than 25
is
considered
overweight.
Overweight
and
obesity
are
major
risk
factors
for a
number
of
chronic
diseases,
including
diabetes,
cardiovascular
diseases
and
cancer.
Once
considered
a
problem
only in
high
income
countries,
overweight
and
obesity
are now
dramatically
on the
rise in
low- and
middle-income
countries,
particularly
in urban
settings.
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