What is Obesity?
It is defined as an excess of body fat. As a symptom, it is a medical issue that can also lead to other medical conditions including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and specific cancers.
Obesity is diagnosed when an individual’s body mass index is higher than 30.
It currently affects over 3 million adults in the US alone, and the numbers diagnosed grow each year. It is recognized as one of the most pressing health concerns in the developed world.
Understanding growth and weight gain/loss-related symptoms and features
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
Symptoms which affect the growth and or weight gain/loss of an individual may also affect the ability of their body to function properly. This might affect their movement, their brain development and the other organs of their body including the heart.
Growth charts help to track a child’s physical development, including weight and height, and flag any issues or concerns. An issue with under or over growth may be the result of an underlying medical condition, or may trigger a secondary medical problem. In some cases a physical growth problem may be due to environmental factors, including under or over feeding.
Symptoms relating to physical growth may be many and wide ranging.
What should I do next?
In some instances, obesity may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Obesity, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.