Which term describes an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, diagnosed when more than 20% above established weight standards based on height, age, and gender?

• A. Obesity
• B. Anorexia
• C. Cachexia
• D. Dehydration

Answer: (A)

Excessive fat accumulation in the body is described as obesity. It is diagnosed when a person’s weight exceeds the established standard for their height, age, and gender by about 20% or more, indicating that body fat is higher than normal for those factors. In practice, BMI is often used as a convenient measure of obesity, with higher ranges signaling greater health risk, but the 20% threshold in this description matches the idea of being substantially above the ideal weight for given height, age, and gender. The other terms don’t fit this description: anorexia refers to an eating disorder characterized by very low body weight from restricted intake; cachexia is a wasting condition associated with disease that involves loss of muscle mass (and often fat); dehydration is a lack of adequate body fluids.