Know about Obesity

Have you ever felt that the junk foods centers have grown largely these days? If yes, then for sure, you would have also noticed that obesity is increasingly becoming the major health threat to everybody in the world. Compared to the previous years, where eating healthy foods was in practice, the recent years where junk foods and highly processed foods have become a part of everyday life, threat of obesity is growing higher. When the food is consumed in excess than what is required, and then health is affected to a higher extent. Deposits of fats due to unhealthy food habits can be a great threat to the healthy life. Obesity is becoming the major cause for the increasing death rates all over the globe.
What leads to obesity?

The major causes of obesity are consuming foods that are high in fats and calories and lack of physical activities or sedentary lifestyle. Instead of spending a few hours in cooking, people tend to eat more of readymade foods. This is a major reason for the increase in weight. People become lazy and as a result the health gets affected. The younger generation is found to have got attracted to the foods that are rich in calorie. For instance, pizzas and burgers are much sought after these days. Various other reasons too, contribute to the obesity factor. Hormonal imbalance, inadequate sleep, smoking, loss of appetite, a few medications are a few of the reasons that lead to overweight. A few other reasons which are not much common are psychiatric issues, medical problems and genetic disorders.

You need to know what your Body Mass Index, BMI in short, is to identify if you are overweight.

• When BMI is between 25 to 30 – Overweight
• When BMI is 30 to 35 – Obesity increases
• When BMI is 35 to 40 – Severe Obesity
• When BMI is 40 to 50 – Super Obesity

How can obesity affect you?

Obesity can result in serious health disorders and can be a reason for death. A few problems caused by obesity are diabetes, gallstones, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders and stroke.

Diabetes:

Diabetes is a condition, where the body becomes less capable of converting starch into sugar. Also the insulin hormonal disrupt too can lead to diabetes. There are types of diabetes, calcified into 3, type 1, type 2 and type 3. Uncontrolled diabetes may lead to renal disorders and heart problems.

Stroke:

Stroke occurs when heart is clogged with higher amount of cholesterol, which is passed to the brain. This happens when the blood clots in the arteries of the brain. When a person suffers from stroke, he or she may be affected by unconsciousness, paralysis, breathing problems, and facial muscle dullness.

Cancer:

Obese people can also face the increased risk of cancer. A few cancer types like ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, gallbladder cancer, colon cancer can occur because of obesity.

High Blood Pressure:

Obesity can lead to another severe health issue called high blood pressure. When the blood reading is 140/90 then it can be denoted as high blood pressure. Hypertension is found in more than 70 percent of the human population. When the arteries get increased blood flow, high blood pressure is induced. When a person who is obese has high blood pressure, heart attack too can occur. Sudden death rate is higher because of heart attacks.

Gallbladder Problems:

Gallstones occur when the cholesterol is of higher level. The hard mass forms develop to grow as the gall stones in the gallbladder. The gall stones can never be identified until the body feels it is difficult to be soluble. So, the diagnosing of gall stones is not easy.

Issues of Bones and Joints:

Obese people can be generally seen with pain in the joints. When the cartilage tissues are damaged, a condition called osteoarthritis is developed. The cartilage tissue is responsible for supporting the joints of the bones. When osteoarthritis occurs one can be encountered with symptoms like swelling in hands, knee, hip bones, and these make even the simple activities like walking, standing, sitting and climbing impossible. During winter the pain increases, so it is the season, when people affected by osteoarthritis should be safe.

Gout:

When the level of Sodium Urate and Uric Acid become higher, then gout occurs. The solubility in the body is made difficult. This leads to crystal formation in the body. People of all age groups can face this issue and the obese people have higher risk.

How to treat obesity?

While obesity can be effectively treating in various methods, it is always better to start at the initial stage, that is when the person is overweight and when the BMI is 25 to 30. Eating a balanced diet with lesser calories and physical workouts are the crucial components of obesity treatment. While eating a healthy diet can help to a certain extent, one has to still do the workouts. Entire lifestyle has to be changed to treat obesity. One has to modify the physical activity levels, social groups, eating patterns etc. When obesity has to be treated, the level of obesity plays a vital role in determining the treatment. The treatments are weight loss surgery, medications, exercises and diet plans.

Physical Activity:

Any physical activity like walking, cycling, jogging, swimming and yoga should be done. If you want to burn off the excessive calories, then your body should be engaged in activities. This is something crucial when it comes to treating obesity.

Behavioral Changes:

Your lifestyle changes can be accomplished with a few changes in your behavior. You need to identify the reason that leads to obesity, it may be your sedentary work environment or the improper social group.

Medication:

When you consult a doctor, a weight loss treatment with medicines can be chosen. However, you need to incorporate, diet plans, behavioral changes and the exercise regimen to make the medication work for you. A few medicines that are generally prescribed are Qsymia, Phentermine and Lorcaserin.

Surgical Option:

A risky way to lose weight is the Bariatric surgery. The absorption level of food and calories is decreased to a great extent with the surgery.

Dietary Modifications:

The obese people should eat only the calories that are required. Consuming foods rich in fats and calories lead to obesity. Eating foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals is recommended.

Anton Lawrence
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Know about Obesity