Obesity

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Everything About Obesity

What is Obesity?

Obesity is one of the most common health conditions in the world. It affects more than 650 million adults worldwide. Morbid obesity is the most severe form of obesity. Obesity means excess collection of fat. And obesity is emerging as a health epidemic around the world. today we have a pandemic of obesity and related diseases.But being obese is different from being overweight. An adult male is obese when his weight is 20% or more over the most desirable for their height. A woman is obese at 25% or more than this weight. Anyone more than 40 kg overweight is considered morbidly obese.Obesity increases a person’s risk of illness and death due to diabetes, stroke, coronary artery disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, and kidney and gallbladder disorders. Obesity may increase the risk for some types of cancer. It is also a risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis and sleep apnea.

Body Mass Index (BMI = Weight in Kg / Height in M2)

Body Mass Index (BMI) is measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. BMI does not differentiate between body fat and muscle mass. Therefore, body builders and people who have a lot of muscle bulk will have a high BMI but are not overweight or obese.BMI is usually a good indicator of body fat for most people. Although it doesn’t directly measure body fat, it closely correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing. BMI is also an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method that can help determine if a person’s current weight could potentially lead to health problems.It’s important to note that BMI is not a diagnostic tool. Whether a person has a high BMI or low BMI, an individual’s personal measurement should be left to a reputable doctor to determine if excess weight is a health risk.

Medical Implications of Obesity

Diabetes

Hypertension

Lipid Disorders

Heart disease

Asthma

Sleep apnea

Gallstones

NASH (non-alcohol steatohepatitis)

Urinary incontinence

Gastroesophageal reflux

Obstetric complications

Accident proneness

Low back pain
Osteoarthritis and gout
Infertility and menstrual
problems
DVT and Thromboembolism
Depression
Immobility
Cancer (breast, colorectal, prostate, endometrial, etc.)
Venous / statis ulcers
Skin infections
Intertrigo

What Causes Obesity?

Obesity and overweight is caused by a complex combination of factors, including:

Wrong Diet
Energy Imbalance: Obesity happens gradually if the amount of energy or calories you consume is more than the amount of energy spent on your daily activities.
Sedentary Lifestyle: People leading an inactive or sedentary lifestyle are more likely to become obese as they do not burn down the calories they consume.
Environmental factors: Lack of safe places for exercising and walking (sidewalks or parks), busy work schedule, eating larger food portions, and junk food are contributing factors to gain weight.
Family history: The genes inherited from your parents have an effect the amount of fat stored in your body and your chances of being obese is higher if one or both your parents are obese. Obesity tends to run in families.
Disease conditions: Hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, and polycystic ovarian syndrome may cause weight gain.
Medicines: Certain medicines such as corticosteroids, antidepressants and seizure medications are known to decrease the rate of metabolism, increase your appetite and retain excess water in the body leading to weight gain.
Emotional factors: Unusual eating habits such as excessive eating when under stress or anger. Overeating will cause weight gain.
Age: Aging results in muscle loss in the body which is even more if you are inactive. Muscle loss reduces the calorie consumption and consequently Sedentary lifestyle