OBESITY

-

 



Obesity is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat.

Obesity isn't just a cosmetic concern. It's a medical problem that increases the risk of other diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF OBESITY?

Body mass index (BMI) is often used to diagnose obesity. Body mass index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilogram divided by the square of height in metres. 




  • For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. However, BMI does not directly measure body fat, so some people, such as muscular athletes, may have a BMI in the obesity category even though they do not have excess body fat.
  • Many doctors also measure a person's waist circumference to help guide treatment decisions. Weight-related health problems are more common in men with a waist circumference over 40 inches (102 centimeters) and in women with a waist measurement over 35 inches (89 centimeters).


WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF OBESITY?

LIFESTYLE CHOICES


  • Unhealthy diet. A diet that is high in calories, lacking in fruits and vegetables, full of fast food, and laden with high-calorie beverages and oversized portions contributes to weight gain.
  • Liquid calories. People can drink many calories without feeling full, especially calories from alcohol. Other high-calorie beverages, such as sugared soft drinks, can contribute to significant weight gain.
  • Inactivity. If the people have a sedentary lifestyle, they can easily take in more calories every day than they burn through exercise and routine daily activities. Looking at computer, tablet and phone screens is a sedentary activity. The number of hours spent in front of a screen is highly associated with weight gain.


CERTAIN DISEASES AND MEDICATIONS


  • In some people, obesity can be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing syndrome and other conditions. Medical problems, such as arthritis, also can lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain.

  • Some medications can lead to weight gain if the people don not compensate through diet or activity. These medications include some antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications, antipsychotic medications, steroids and beta blockers.


SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES


Social and economic factors are linked to obesity. Avoiding obesity is difficult if the people do not have safe areas to walk or exercise. Similarly, they may not have been taught healthy ways of cooking, or may not have access to healthier foods. In addition, the people they spend time with may influence their weight as they more likely to develop obesity if they have friends or relatives with obesity.


AGE


Obesity can occur at any age, even in young children. But as the people age, hormonal changes and a less active lifestyle increase your risk of obesity. In addition, the amount of muscle in the body tends to decrease with age. Generally, lower muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie needs and can make it harder to keep off excess weight. If they do not consciously control what they eat and become more physically active as they age, they will likely gain weight.


OTHER FACTORS

  • Pregnancy. Weight gain is common during pregnancy. Some women find this weight difficult to lose after the baby is born. This weight gain may contribute to the development of obesity in women.
  • Quitting smoking. Quitting smoking is often associated with weight gain. And for some, it can lead to enough weight gain to qualify as obesity. Often, this happens as people use food to cope with smoking withdrawal. In the long run, however, quitting smoking is still a greater benefit to your health than is continuing to smoke. 
  • Lack of sleep. Not getting enough sleep or getting too much sleep can cause changes in hormones that increase appetite. People may also crave foods high in calories and carbohydrates, which can contribute to weight gain.
  • Stress. Many external factors that affect mood and well-being may contribute to obesity. People often seek more high-calorie food when experiencing stressful situations.
  • Microbiome. The gut bacteria are affected by what the people eat and may contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WORLD HUNGER

-
Image
   What is "World Hunger" ?     The United Nations’ (UN) Hunger report defines hunger as “ periods when populations are experiencing severe food insecurity .” World hunger is when people spend entire days with nothing to eat due to various reasons such as lack of money and lack of access to food and other resources. When a person consumes below 1,800 calories per day , it qualifies as food deprivation or undernourishment. What are the causes of "World Hunger" ? Climate change and natural disasters Conflict in several territories The socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic Why is "World Hunger" is a problem? The effects of world hunger are as diverse as they are devastating. At its core, a diet characterized by an  insufficient intake of calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals impedes human development   at every level. For example, infants, children and adults. In turn, this negatively impacts the health, education, economic and social developm...
Read more

FUNCTIONAL FOOD, NUTRACEUTICALS AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

-
Image
  FUNCTIONAL FOOD Nutrient consumed as a part of a normal diet but delivering one or more active ingredients (that have physiological effects and may enhance health) within the food matrix. The functional food category and examples are shown as below : HOW ARE FOODS MADE TO BE "FUNCTIONAL"? 1) Taking out potentially harmful components. For example, cholesterol in egg yolk and lactose in milk. 2) Increasing the amount of nutrients and beneficial non-nutrients. For example, fiber-fortified liquid meals, calcium-, and vitamin C-fortified orange juice. 3) Using beneficial substances in food production or products. For example, using bacteria in fermented milk and soy products. DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS A product (other than tobacco) that is intended to supplement the diet , which contains one or more of the following dietary ingredients. A vitamin, a mineral, an herb or other botanical, an amino acid, a dietary substance to supplement the diet by increasing the total daily intake, or ...
Read more

GLYCEMIC INDEX

-
Image
  WHAT IS GLYCEMIC INDEX (GI)? The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates . It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own . Foods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic foods and ranked on a scale of 0–100. The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels. Here are the three GI ratings:             - Low : 55 or less            - Medium : 56 - 69            - High : 70 or above HIGH GI FOOD Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating. Some high GI foods are  : LOW AND MEDIUM GI FOOD Low or medium GI foods are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time . Some examples are : Some fruits and vegetables Pulses Wholegrain...
Read more