RN Nursing · Nutrition · Practice question
From a public health perspective, how is the term "obesity" defined?
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An increase in lean muscle mass relative to height.
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An abnormally high storage of glucose in the liver and muscles.
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✓
An excessive accumulation of body fat that may impair health.
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A temporary increase in total body water and fluid retention.
Answer & explanation
Correct: An excessive accumulation of body fat that may impair health.
Obesity is defined from a public health standpoint as an excessive accumulation of body fat that may impair health. This definition is operationalized clinically using body mass index (BMI), where a BMI of 30 or greater typically classifies an adult as obese. The emphasis on body fat accumulation and its relationship to health consequences — including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers — is central to public health frameworks such as those published by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The other options do not correctly characterize obesity. An increase in lean muscle mass relative to height describes a positive change in body composition, not obesity. Abnormal glucose storage in the liver and muscles relates to glycogen metabolism and is not a definition of obesity. A temporary increase in total body water describes fluid retention or edema, which is a distinct physiological phenomenon. These distractors each relate to body composition or metabolism in some way but do not capture the defining feature of obesity, which is specifically an excess of adipose tissue with potential health consequences.
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