Obesity
What is obesity?
Obesity is defined as a condition of excess bodyweight and
fat. The size and number of fat cells increase in obese people. A person is
said to be obese when the body weight is 20% or more above ideal body weight,
which can be calculated by comparing his height and sex.
What are the causes?
Dietaryand life style practices are directly related to
obesity. The most important cause is the imbalance between the energy intake
and output. Energy is obtained from the food one eats and is required to carry
out the daily activities, and the body functions, which are going on even when
one is sleeping. The extra energy which is not used by the body is stored as
fat. Eating more than one need causes obesity because the excess energy
supplied to the body gets converted into fat. On the expenditure side, if a
person is physically less active then less energy is utilised and more is
converted to fat.
Home, work and school are barriers to opportunities for
active lifestyle. Children of obese parents are 10 times likely to be obese
than those of non-obese parents. This is mostly environmental since the
children and parents share the same dietary habits. Genes influence how the
body burns calories or stores fat. In some rare cases, hormonal imbalance, such
as overactivity of the adrenal glands or underactivity of the thyroid gland,
can also cause obesity. Injury or inflammation of the hypothalamus can
interfere with the appetite centre and thereby cause obesity.
What are the symptoms?
The signs of obesity include body fat and weight more than
the ideal body weight.
What are the risks of obesity?
Obesity is a serious condition as it increases the risk of
heart diseases, diabetes, joint pains, high blood pressure and some types of
cancers such as colon, breast and uterine cancers. Obese people are also more
prone to diseases and problems such as stroke, gall bladder disease, breathing
problems (sleep apnoea syndrome), low back pain, swelling of the feet and
ankles, imbalances and accidents. Obese people have a low self-esteem and they
avoid company, which makes them insular and insecure.
How is it diagnosed?
Obesity is determined by measuring body weight and fat.
There are different ways of calculating body fat. Body mass index (BMI) is one
of the best methods used to measure body fat. BMI is calculated as the ratio of
the weight in Kg and height in square metre. Guidelines define overweight as a
BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/square meter and obesity as a BMI greater than 30.
The doctor may also suggest blood test for sugar, cholesterol, and
triglycerides. In case insufficient thyroid functioning (hypothyroidism) is
suspected, the doctor will ask for a thyroid stimulating hormone test.
What is the treatment?
The simplest and the most basic principle is to reduce food
intake, especially the fat content, and increasing physical activity.
Increasing physical activity alone is not an easy way to lose weight unless one
combines it with a reduction of fat intake. Physical activity includes walking,
jogging, swimming, cycling, aerobics or any other household activity such as
cleaning, washing, climbing stairs etc. The sense of well-being and weight loss
motivates an individual to make changes in his or her diet as well. The best
way of keeping a good control on ones dietary intake is to keep a daily diary,
and writing down whatever one eats as one eats. Avoid high oil content in the
curries and do not use butter on chappatis, which may be tasty without the fat.
The doctor or health care provider evaluates the daily diet and plans a diet
providing calories enough to maintain the weight below the ideal body weight.
Increase your physical; activity and reduce the intake of
food. Your initial goal of weight loss therapy should be to reduce the
bodyweight by 10% from baseline. With success, further weight loss can be
attempted. Weight loss should be 1-2 kg for 6 months. Reducing dietary fat
alone without reducing calories is not sufficient for weight loss. Reducing
dietary fat along with dietary carbohydrates can help reduce calories.Weight
maintenance program should be priory after 6 months.
In order to maintain one's weight, calories consumed should
be equal to calories used. Energy balance is like a scale. When calories
consumed are more than calories used, it results in weight gain. Let physical
activity tip the scale in your favour. You can perform aerobic exercises 30 minutes
a day thrice week. Avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
Certain medicines are also available for weight reduction.
There are two main types of weight reducing drugs: one class decreases appetite
while the other prevents dietary fat from being absorbed by the body. These
drugs should be taken only with doctor”s advice, as there are a lot of side
effects related with their use. Surgery to cure obesity should be undertaken as
the last resort for people who are very obese, have tried all the other options
available and have medical problems. The main surgical option is to have your
stomach banded or stapled so that it cannot accommodate more food. Why not eat
less voluntarily?
Few tips to bring about weight loss as well as ensuring good
health:
Eat plenty of
vegetables, fruits, and grain products like wheat.
Increase the
consumption of complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, millet (jowar) and
barley (bajra)
Restrict refined
products such as flour (maida) and its products such as bread, noodles, macaronis
and pastas in regular diet
Restrict fat and
cholesterol rich foods. Only non-vegetarian foods (like eggs and dairy
products) are good sources of cholesterol, however saturated fatty acids
present in butter, ghee, vanaspati and coconut get metabolised to cholesterol
in our body
Reduce the amount
of sugars consumed
Consume raw fruits
and vegetables in form of salads and raitas in every meal.These provide
adequate vitamins, minerals and fibre. Fibre is essential as it aids in
digestion, has an effective role in managing obesity and cardiovascular
problems
Limit salt intake
Have small
portions of food at a time
Do not skip meals
Have regular meal
timings
Do not eat while
cooking and watching television
Drink plenty of
water (6-8 glasses) in a day
Exercise
regularly. Do brisk walking at least for 20-40 minutes in a day
Thank You