Obesity
oʊˈbiːsɪti
Definitions
The condition of being seriously overweight or having too much body fat. Generally, obesity is defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
oʊˈbiːsɪti
The condition of being excessively overweight
Obesity increases the risk of several diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're carrying around a whole bunch of extra weight, way more than you should. That's kind of like obesity. It means having way too much body fat, which can make it hard to stay healthy. It's like always wearing a heavy backpack!
👶 For kids: Being very, very chubby. Having too much of your body filled with fat.
More Examples
The government implemented programs to combat childhood obesity.
She is concerned about her family's history of obesity.
How It's Used
"Obesity is a significant public health concern."
"Researchers are studying the causes of obesity."
Idioms & expressions
Obesity epidemic
The widespread and rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity within a population.
"Many countries are facing an obesity epidemic, with rising rates of overweight individuals."
From Latin *obēsus* ('fat') + -ity (suffix forming nouns). The word entered English in the early 17th century.
Historically, the term 'obesity' has been used primarily within the medical field, gradually increasing in common usage as awareness of its health implications grew.
Memory tip
Think of "obese" (fat) + "-ity" (state of). The state of being fat is obesity.
Word Origin
"fat, stout, plump"