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greater risk of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes than the person
whose fatty-tissue deposits are concentrated in the buttocks and thighs.
Based on such patterns, researchers have further defined BMI guidelines
and types of obesity. Doctors recommend weight ranges considered ideal for
certain heights and then combine these ideal weights with factors like BMI
and
anatomical
distribution of fat to better assess a patient’s risk of devel-
oping obesity-related illnesses.
Once a person has had his or her excess weight evaluated by a health pro-
fessional, he or she can begin exploring options for addressing the weight
issue. What will happen if people don’t act to address their weight issues?
What exactly is at stake? Consider the words of humorist Robert Orben:
“Quit worrying about your health. It’ll go away.” Although he meant the
statement to be funny, this writer and editor penned perhaps no truer
Weighing In: Defining the Problem / 21