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Obesity
Carrying too much body fat for your height and gender. Obesity can be measured in different ways, the most widely used is body mass index (BMI) which is a measure of your weight and height. If your BMI is over 30, you are considered to be obese. Obesity can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Occupational therapist (OT)
A healthcare professional who can help you find ways of carrying out the tasks of everyday living. This can include tasks such as getting washed and dressed. They may also be able to help you to return to your hobbies, and can advise you on returning to work.

Oedema
The medical term for fluid retention in the body, which causes swelling.

Ombudsman
An organisation that carries out independent investigations into complaints. There are different ombudsmen for each of the countries in the UK.

Ophthalmologist
A registered doctor who specialises in investigating and treating eye conditions. They can also assess whether you qualify to register your sight loss, as sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind). This can make it easier to get support and entitles you to certain concessions.

Orthosis
A splint or brace, usually made of plastic or metal, which helps to improve how one of your limbs works, and compensates for muscle weakness. A common type of orthosis for stroke survivors is an ankle-foot orthosis to help with drop foot.