Obesity
/oʊˈbiːsɪti/
nounB2
Definition
Obesity means having a very high amount of fat in the body, more than what is healthy. It happens when a person eats more calories than they use in activity and exercise. Obesity can increase the risk of diseases like heart problems, diabetes, and more.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
Medical condition of having excessive body fat
- •The doctor warned him that obesity could lead to heart disease.
- •Childhood obesity is becoming more common in many countries.
- •Obesity can make it harder to move and exercise.
Used in health discussions about diet, exercise, and lifestyle
- •Public health campaigns try to reduce obesity by promoting healthy eating.
- •Obesity is linked to poor diet and lack of physical activity.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "obesity" like "fat" (A1 word), but it means a lot more fat that can cause health problems, not just a little extra weight.
- ✓Picture a balloon getting bigger and bigger as you blow air into it—too much air makes it hard to hold or carry.
- ✓It’s the feeling when your clothes don’t fit well because your body has grown bigger than usual.
- ✓Sounds like "oh-BEE-sih-tee" → imagine a big bee that is heavy and slow because it is too full of honey.
- ✓Think of stories or movies where characters learn to eat healthy to avoid obesity and feel better.
- ✓NOT like "overweight" (which can mean just a little extra weight), obesity is more serious and much heavier.
- ✓NOT like "muscle" (which is healthy body weight), obesity is too much fat in the body.
- ✓NOT like "thin" or "slim" (small body size), obesity is the opposite, very large body size because of fat.
Try Other Words
- •Overweight: having more weight than normal but less serious than obesity (Use when the extra weight is smaller or less dangerous)
- •Corpulence: formal word for large body size due to fat (Use in formal or medical writing)
- •Excess weight: general phrase for more weight than healthy (Use in casual or health advice contexts)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "ob-" (toward, against) + "esity" (from Latin "esus," meaning eaten) → related to eating too much
- •Etymology: From Latin "obesitas," meaning fatness or being overweight
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 1600s to describe excessive body fat
- •Modern usage: Common in medicine, health, and public discussion about diet and lifestyle
- •Key insight: The word connects to eating habits and body condition, focusing on too much fat
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think lifestyle and culture affect the rates of obesity in different countries?
•What are some ways people can prevent obesity in their daily lives?
Fill in the blanks
1.Obesity often happens because people eat more food ___ they use energy through exercise.
2.Doctors say obesity can increase the risk ___ heart disease and diabetes.
3.Unlike being simply overweight, obesity means having an ___ amount of body fat.
4.Public health programs work to reduce obesity by encouraging ___ eating and regular activity.
5.When someone has obesity, they might find it harder to ___ or do physical work.
6.Obesity is different from muscle gain because muscle is healthy, but obesity is too much ___.
7.If a person wants to avoid obesity, they should balance the calories they eat ___ the calories they burn.