What is Obesity?

Obesity

Obesity is a disease which is caused by excessive weight gain because a person takes more calories in a day than he burns by physical activities. It is not merely a concern to control your growth; it is also highly fatal for your physical and behavioral health. It is a medical problem in which a person’s body mass index (BMI) is more than 30 which is most prevalent in the middle-aged people aged 40 to 59 years. Women tend to suffer more from this disease as compared to obesity; a person has to have healthy nerves and a comprehensive approach to change their toxic habits and shift towards a healthy lifestyle.

Causes of obesity

More than one in two adults are obese, and even in children, obesity has been increasing markedly. It has reached an epidemic level in so many countries further increasing other health problems. The leading cause of these conditions is a low diet with creamy fat and carbohydrates. One of the root causes is that people prefer using their phones rather than going for a walk or exercise, as well as adaptation of unhealthy lifestyle prevailing in families and excess medication which is described as below.

Genetics

Genetics contribute to 40-50% of obesity in families. It may play a role to determine how the fat is stored and utilized in your body. On the other hand, the environment, nutrition and unhealthy eating habits in your family also adversely affect your weight. Lifestyle changes require high self-esteem to overwhelm those bad eating and inactive habits. Studies have shown that jogging is better than cycling, running, and swimming to reduce genetically transmitted obesity problems.

Overeating

You are consuming too many calories before feeling full, eating junk food, taking sugary drinks and beverages, consuming too much alcohol, eating processed foods like chips and pasta trigger a person to eat and crave for it as they are so delicious that they are hard to avoid. You can make choices by distracting yourself to other activities such that playing or going for a walk. Keep a journal to write your bad habits and to write about your plans ahead, when you will read this daily you will start getting progress, and you will be more likely to be on track. Adopting to food which is healthy and by gradually skipping unhealthy cravings can help you maintain your weight and your health in the long run.

Sedentary lifestyle

Excessive screen time watching your favorite shows or playing games, moving too little and not doing enough exercises to burn the amount of fat you have consumed earlier leads to excessive fat storage in your body making you obese. This modern era of technology and robotics have made us less practical, sitting at your table most of the day. To keep your system flourishing, you need to do exercise regularly. Walking, running, swimming, skipping or working at the gym will help you maintain the energy balance by burning the extra fat.

Lack of sleep and stress

Imbalanced sleep may cause hormonal imbalance leading to deregulation of appetite, which may cause more energy consumption. Stress and depression are contributing factors as the person with little self-control tend to eat more during stress to find comfort. This disrupted lifecycle hinders you from maintaining your health. Maintaining an average sleep cycle of seven hours, Maintain your stress through cheering and mindful activities to make your mind and health at peace.

Excessive intake of sugar

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), men should take nine teaspoons of sugar per day, and women should take six teaspoons per day. Soft drinks, candies, chocolates, ice-creams, bakery items have plenty of added sugar in them, which is hazardous to health and causes different disease like obesity, heart diseases and diabetes. Sugar increases hunger and is addictive and makes you gain weight. Instead of consuming added sugar, you should use natural sugar which is present in fruits and some vegetables by gradually cutting on to the added sugar.

Symptoms of obesity

• Shortness of breath
• Increased blood pressure
• Body aching
• Depression
• Irregular periods
• Sleep deprivation
• Heart diseases
• Excessive fat accumulation
• Lethargic lifecycle
• Menstrual imbalance

Complications

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Obesity can give rise to a number of serious health conditions including:

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Stroke
• Coronary Heart disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Infertility
• Low HDL, High LDL and High TGL

HDL (Good Cholesterol)- High-Density Lipoprotein

LDL (Bad Cholesterol) – Low-Density Lipoprotein

TGL (Triglycerides)

Diagnosis

BMI is a ratio of your body’s weight to your height to have an estimate of your body size.

• Individuals with BMI less than 18.5 are underweight
• Individuals having BMI 18.5 to 24.9 are considered to have an average weight
• Individuals having BMI from 25 to 29.5 are overweight
• Individuals having BMI 30 to 34.5 are considered to have in “class 1 obesity.”
• Individuals having BMI 35 to 39.9 are considered to have in “class 2 obesity”
• Individuals with BMI more than 40 are called to be morbid or in “class 3 obesity.”

The waist to hip ratio (WHR) is also used as a measurement of obesity. It is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to the hips. Women having WHR more than 0.8 and men having WHR more than 1.0 are considered to be obese and are at a greater risk of health problems.

Treatment

Obesity is curable. Try to reduce 1 to 2 pounds a week, even a moderate amount of weight loss can help to reduce the risk factors. Start by setting small and achievable goals and be optimistic about reaching them. Don’t adopt a yoyo diet by skipping meals. Take 500 to 1000 calories per day. Your goals can be achieved by:

• Exercising regularly
• Eating fewer fats
• Maintaining sleep cycle
• Adopting the Mediterranean lifestyle
• Prescription medicines
• Bariatric surgery
• Taking protein-rich and lean foods
• Sugar-free beverages
• Healthy environment
• Managing stress and depression
• Meal replacements
• Be consistent

While you are on a weight loss journey, hurdles may cross your path. Of course, it is not easy to give up on your favorite foods, to exercise regularly for 60 minutes, taking into account every calorie you take. It may take time to get accustomed to this lifestyle, but the only thing you need is consistency and a better understanding of the food you are eating and the way it will have an impact on your body’s health.

Majorly effects in women

One critical health issue that is caused by obesity is PCOD or PCOS in women. PCOD refers to Polycystic Ovarian Disease. In this, the hormones in the body tend to fluctuate, which causes your menstruation cycle massive effects. PCOD. Can happen to any women despite weight issue or not. But chances increases in obesity. Further, this disease can severely affect in conceiving a baby.

Outlook

Men having a BMI of 35 or above have a reduced life expectancy of eight years while women reduced expectancy up to six years. If the problem is addressed timely by adopting a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, the outcomes are brighter.

Tips to reduce obesity

• Regular exercise
• Proper diet
• Chop off junks
• Maintaining sleep schedule
• Proper eating timing
• Intake of water
• Yoga

If you are obese, consult your dietitian for a proper diet and exercise.

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