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Obesity Is A Chronic And
Complex Disease1

Understand basics of obesity and
seek expert care.

Lilly Lilly
Consult an Apollo Doctor*

Obesity can affect people physically, but it can also impact them emotionally due to the self-blame that can come from not reaching their weight loss goals or from facing stigma, bias, or discrimination over their weight.2,7,8
Let's break the stigma and understand the real causes of obesity, helping people seek expert medical opinion for optimum health.

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Why Are You Struggling to Lose Weight?

So, why can it be so hard to lose weight? Because obesity is a disease, not a choice.1,3 Even when you try to eat healthy and stay active, it can be hard to sustain weight loss, making you feel like you are stuck in a cycle of trying to lose weight and gaining it back 1,2

Here are a few factors that might be affecting your weight loss efforts:
Person showing biological resistance to weight loss
Biological Resistance

Biological resistance may result in increased hunger, feeling less full, and changes in metabolism—these processes can work against your weight loss efforts4

Person experiencing weight loss resistance
Weight Loss Resistance

When you stay at a certain weight for a long time, your body can resist changing.4,7,18 This means when you start to lose weight, your body may start to burn fewer calories, so the work you are putting in is less efficient over time.18

Person dealing with factors beyond their control
Factors Beyond Control

Genetics, hormones, and environment all contribute to obesity.10 Research suggests that pharmacotherapy offers an additional option to help reduce body weight when lifestyle changes are insufficient.6

Health Risks linked to Obesity

People with obesity are more likely to develop several serious health problems9, including:

Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes9
Digestive problems
Digestive problems9
Chronic arthritis
Osteoarthritis9
High blood pressure
High blood pressure9
Fatty liver disease
Fatty liver disease9

With early medical support, you can take back control. Your doctor may help with a personalized care plan for the optimum health outcomes.

Consult an Apollo Doctor*

How can Doctors Help you?

Doctors are trained to offer care with compassion and
without judgment. They'll work with you to understand:

  • Your medical history and weight journey
  • Underlying hormonal, genetic, or metabolic factors
  • Treatment options tailored to your needs

Begin Your Weight Loss Journey Today!

Consult an Apollo Doctor*
Doctor consultation

Ready to Start but Unsure Where to Begin?

If you've ever thought

I want to feel
healthier

I have tried so
many diets

I want to talk to a doctor, but I don't know how

You are Ready to Take your first steps

You are Ready to Take your first steps

Let us help you navigate your options and support you with empathy and science.

Understand your Numbers

Body Mass Body Mass Index (BMI) estimates your body fat by calculating the ratio of your weight to your height15

Obesity is a complex, chronic and progressive disease, and while BMI can be used to categorise obesity, your doctor may consider additional factors.16 For adults 20 and older, BMI categories are based on a person's BMI regardless of age, sex, or race.17 It's important to note that the BMI categories can differ depending on a person's ethnicity.16

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BMI Ranges1
< 18.5
If your BMI is less than 18.5 kg/m2, it falls within the underweight range
Underweight range
18.5 - 22.9
If your BMI is 18.5 - 22.9 kg/m2, it falls within the healthy weight range
Healthy weight range
23.0 - 24.9
If your BMI is 23.0 - 24.9 kg/m2, it falls within the overweight range
Overweight range
25.0 - 29.9
If your BMI is 25.0 - 29.9 kg/m2, it falls within the obesity grade 1 range
Obesity grade 1 range
30.0 - 34.9
If your BMI is 30.0 - 34.9 kg/m2, it falls within the obesity grade 2 range
Obesity grade 2 range
>= 35.0
If your BMI is more than 35.0 kg/m2, it falls within the obesity grade 3 range
Obesity grade 3 range
BMI Calculator

Fill in your height and weight in order to receive your result.

Your BMI Score is 24.5

*Please consult a registered medical practitioner before making any decisions based on your symptoms or BMI. This platform does not substitute professional medical advice. *

Obesity: Separating Facts From Myths

Obesity:
Separating Facts From Myths

Myth

Obesity is primarily caused by a lack of physical activity or by unhealthy dietary habits.5,11

Fact

Overeating and low physical activity should be seen as symptoms of obesity, not its primary causes.5,12Factors, such as sleep deprivation, medications, stress, fatigue, and chronic pain, can significantly affect energy balance and contribute to weight gain. 5,13,14

Myth

Obesity is a lifestyle choice and not a disease.5

Fact

Obesity qualifies as a disease because it presents with identifiable signs and symptoms, leads to anatomical and functional changes in organs or body systems, contributes to significant morbidity and mortality, and often necessitates medical intervention for effective management.5

What Will Treatment Look Like?

Since every person is unique, so should be their care plan! However, the most common treatment measures include

1. Eating Better

As we all know, a balanced, healthy diet can provide essential nutrients while often helping to keep caloric intake in check. There is no single diet that works for everyone—each person has different needs that can depend on many factors.18,22

Calorie-restrictive diets can be challenging,3 but support is available.21

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1. Eating Better
Eating Better
2. Staying Active
Staying Active
2. Staying Active

Movement is an important part of your health journey.21,20 In addition to burning calories, regular physical activity also boosts your metabolism, which in turn can help you in your efforts to maintain a healthy weight.18,19

Physical activity doesn't need to happen in a gym; simple changes like adding more steps to your day, opting for stairs instead of the escalator, playing with your children, or walking your dog can also make a difference.23 It is recommended to consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen, especially if you have a chronic health condition.

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3. Obesity Management Medications

Obesity Management Medications, along with lifestyle modifications, can help people with obesity achieve and maintain a healthier weight 2. Need for the obesity medications should be assessed and prescribed ONLY by physicians, and under no circumstances should they be used without medical supervision.

For detailed information about Obesity Management Medications, pl ease speak with your consulting physician or a doctor who is an obesity specialist

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3. Anti-Obesity Medication
Anti-Obesity Medication

Do you have any questions?

Speak to Apollo Doctors*

  1. ESI Obesity Guidelines Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism ¦ Volume 26 ¦ Issue 4 ¦ July-August 2022 1a: Obesity and overweight, WHO, 1 March 2024
  2. Hall KD, Kahan S. Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):183-197. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012
  3. Greenway FL. Physiological adaptations to weight loss and factors favouring weight regain. Int J Obes (Lond). 2015;39(8):1188-1196. doi:10.1038/ijo.2015.59
  4. Ochner CN, Barrios DM, Lee CD, Pi-Sunyer FX. Biological mechanisms that promote weight regain following weight loss in obese humans. Physiol Behav. 2013;120:106-113. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.07.009
  5. Bays, H. E., Golden, A., & Tondt, J. (2022). Thirty obesity myths, misunderstandings, and/or oversimplifications: An Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) Clinical Practice Statement (CPS) 2022. Obesity Pillars, 3, 100034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obpill.2022.100034
  6. Pharmacotherapy for adults with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials Shi, Qingyang et al. The Lancet, Volume 403, Issue 10434, e21 - e31
  7. Stephenson J, Smith CM, Kearns B, Haywood A, Bissell P. The association between obesity and quality of life: a retrospective analysis of a large-scale population-based cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):1990. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-12009-8
  8. Sarwer DB, Polonsky HM. The psychosocial burden of obesity. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2016;45(3):677-688. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2016.04.016
  9. Mayo Clinic Staff. Obesity: Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. Updated January 8, 2025. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/symptoms-causes/syc-20375742
  10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk Factors for Obesity. Updated June 6, 2022. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/risk-factors/risk-factors.html
  11. Chaput, P., Ferraro, Z. M., & Sharma, A. M. (2014). Widespread misconceptions about obesity. Canadian Family Physician, 60(11), 973. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4229150/
  12. Sharma AM, Padwal R. Obesity is a sign—over-eating is a symptom: an aetiological framework for the assessment and management of obesity. Obes Rev. 2010;11(5):362–70. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2009.00689.x. Epub 2009 Nov 17.
  13. Sørensen TI. Challenges in the study of causation of obesity. Proc Nutr Soc. 2009;68(1):43–54. doi: 10.1017/S0029665108008847. Epub 2008 Dec 15.
  14. Tremblay A, Chaput JP. About unsuspected determinants of obesity. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008;33(4):791–6.
  15. Cleveland Clinic. Body Mass Index (BMI): What It Is & How To Calculate. Cleveland Clinic. Published October 12, 2022. Accessed May 20, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9464-body-mass-index-bmi
  16. Busetto L, Dicker D, Frühbeck G, et al. A new framework for the diagnosis, staging and management of obesity in adults. Nat Med. Published online July 5, 2024. doi:10.1038/s41591-024-03095-3
  17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Adult BMI. CDC. Updated June 3, 2022. Accessed May 20, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/bmi/adult-calculator/bmi-categories.html
  18. Melby CL, Paris HL, Foright RM, Peth J. Attenuating the biologic drive for weight regain following weight loss: must what goes down always go back up? Nutrients. 2017;9(5):468. doi:10.3390/nu9050468
  19. American Diabetes Association. Health and wellness: anaerobic exercise and diabetes. American Diabetes Association. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/fitness/anaerobic-exercise-diabetes
  20. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity and your weight and health. Updated December 27, 2023. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/physical-activity/index.html
  21. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Eating & physical activity to lose or maintain weight. Reviewed May 2023. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/eating-physical-activity
  22. Cena H, Calder PC. Defining a healthy diet: evidence for the role of contemporary dietary patterns in health and disease. Nutrients. 2020;12(2):334. doi:10.3390/nu12020334
  23. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Exercise and fitness: guide to physical activity. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/phy_act.htm

  1. Nothing on this website should be construed as giving personal medical advice or making recommendations regarding any health-related decision or action.
  2. You should consult a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional regarding any questions about your health or before making any treatment-related decisions.
  3. The contents of this site are not intended to substitute the medical judgment of your treating physicians.
  4. Eli Lilly and Company will not be held liable for any outcomes due to the inaccurate use of the information provided on this website. Without limitation, the information provided should not replace medical advice received from a healthcare provider or treating doctor

* The link you clicked will take you to a site maintained by a third party (Apollo). Lilly does not control this site and is not responsible for the content of linked third-party websites. Lilly is not responsible for the Privacy Statement of any third-party sites. We encourage you to read the Privacy Statement of every website you visit. The healthcare professionals that are available on third party platform are independent and will exercise autonomous clinical judgement in evaluating any medical conditions and resulting care decisions, which may or may not include medication.

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