Obesity

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

Obesity is a condition characterised by an excess of body fat that can have significant adverse effects on health.

It is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and certain types of cancer.

Obesity is commonly measured using the body mass index (BMI), calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.

Pathology	Symptoms and Clinical Signs	Suspected Diagnosis	Confirmed Diagnosis
Simple Obesity	Weight gain, fatigue, difficulty in performing physical activities. Elevated BMI, increased abdominal circumference.	Clinical history and physical examination. Evaluation of BMI and abdominal circumference.	Confirmation with clinical history and exclusion of other underlying causes.
Hypothyroidism	Fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, constipation, dry skin. Elevated BMI, bradycardia, slow reflexes.	Clinical history and physical examination. Thyroid function tests (elevated TSH, low free T4).	Confirmation with blood tests and response to thyroid hormone treatment.
Cushing’s Syndrome	Weight gain, especially in the face (moon face), neck, and abdomen, purplish stretch marks, hypertension, osteoporosis.	Clinical history and physical examination. Dexamethasone suppression test, elevated cortisol levels.	Confirmation with imaging tests of the adrenal glands and cortisol levels.