A Peep Into obesity, Causes & Treatment

Millions worldwide are affected by a common condition termed obesity. Overall health and quality of life are affected because of this chronic disease. Obesity can further lead to heart disease and diabetes. Healthy lifestyle habits can improve this condition, but consulting a medical health provider is more useful. Weight reduction therapy helps a lot, but it should be expert-oriented. The patient needs to take care of his self-esteem and mental health. After calculating the body mass index of the patient, a diagnosis of overweight or obesity is made. The body mass index for adults, old people, and children may vary in terms of defining obesity.

How is obesity classified through Body Mass Index?

The double burden of malnutrition is one aspect of obesity. Presently, in all regions of the world, people are more obese than overweight. Earlier, this problem was confined to high-income countries, but today, middle-income countries are also suffering from obesity.

Body mass index helps in creating weight loss plans. Generally, obesity is classified into three categories. After understanding these body mass index classifications, an individual can take precautionary measures in order to reduce their weight.

BMI 30 to less than 35kg/m2 is class one category of obesity.

BMI 35 to less than 40kg/ m2 is class two category of obesity

BMI 40kg/m2 and above is classified as class three category.

What does the WHO say about Obesity?

Since 1990, world obesity has doubled.  A few years ago, one out of every eight people around the globe was obese. Forty-three per cent of adults above eighteen years of age were living with obesity in the year 1922. Thirty-five million children under the age of five were overweight in the year 2024.

The double burden of malnutrition can be noticed in low and middle-income countries. Under nutrition and the problem of infectious disease were common in such countries, and they are also facing the risk of obesity and overweight. Mostly, the young babies suffer the most in the low-income countries due to inadequate child nutrition. Secondly, they are fed with high sugar, high fat, and high salt diets, which are less nutritious.

The World Health Organization is taking all the necessary steps to cope with the world obesity crisis. WHO suggests that such health systems should be built that recognize obesity as a lifelong and complex condition?

What could be the possible causes of obesity?

Consuming more calories than the body requires definitely leads to obesity. Now the question arises, why does your body require more calories? To be more precise, why are you eating too much? Let's answer this question in detail.

• Disability could be a reason- Those suffering from physical and learning disabilities are more prone to obesity. Due to physical limitations, a person or child may not be allowed to move amongst normal people. His education might be interrupted. This may change his mental setup, contributing to obesity.

• Eating Habits-Gaining weight is an outcome of more calorie consumption, eating junk food or more processed food, taking high sugar drinks, and consuming food with a high amount of saturated fat.
• Medications- You eat medicines to treat some condition, but this can lead to weight gain as well. Such medicines may include steroids, antidepressants, diabetes medications, and anti-seizure medications.
• Lack of physical activity: Most people spend time on laptops, smartphones, or watching TV. Children are busier playing video games. Hence, there is less time for physical activity like Jim, sports activity, or jogging.
• Lack of Sleep- If you cannot sleep seven hours a day, your sleep hormones might demand more calories, leading to weight gain.
• Stress- Hormones like cortisol manage hunger levels. If you are more stressed, your body and mind may react to the creation of cortisol hormones.

How to Diagnose Obesity

• A physical exam- This may include height tests, examining the abdomen, checking heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature.
• Measuring Waist Size- Diabetes and heart disease are outcomes of abdominal fat, which is the fat, stored around the waist. For men with a waist size above forty, and for women with a waist size above thirty five inches, is risky.
• BMI Calculation- A BMI above 30 is considered obesity. Mass index is checked by a health care professional. It is good to check your BMI once a year.
• Understanding Your Health History- Things become clear once the health advisor understands your exercise patterns, weight loss efforts, weight history, and physical efforts. Everything is assessed by a health professional, such as your stress level, what medicines you have been consuming, and the major issues regarding your health.

Best Ways to Treat Obesity

Make changes in your diet- You can reduce the calorie intake after examining the amount of calories you eat every day. After consulting a health care professional, it can be fixed so that your calorie intake can be curbed. You can replace junk food with green vegetables and fruits. Your calorie intake should not exceed 1200 to 1500 calories for women and 1500 to 1800 for men.

There is a need to limit full-fat and high-carbohydrate foods. Sugar-sweetened beverages shouldn't be included in your daily diet as they contain extra calories. You can also replace your meals. Taking shakes and healthy snacks is helpful. Also, there is no need to go for fad diets that promise fast weight loss. For a few days, such diets may help in reducing weight, but in the long run, they are not as effective.

Physical activity and Exercise-You should have some exercise plan every day if you wish to reduce your weight. Swimming, running, and jogging can help control weight gain.  Only walking a few steps every day can prove helpful. The best thing is to keep your body moving, whatever the means.

Behavior Changes- Proper guidance from a mental health professional can work wonders in terms of overcoming obesity. He can transform your psychology, your anxiety, and your anger. Similarly, you can make friends in support groups where two people are suffering from obesity, and they can share their feelings.

You can use weight loss medicines, but it is recommended that you go under the supervision of a healthcare professional before consuming pills.

In the modern era, people go for weight loss surgeries like adjustable gastric banding, gastric bypass surgery, and gastric sleeve surgery. Success in such surgeries depends on your commitment, which demands lifelong changes in your eating habits.