Last updated on October 15th, 2024 at 06:32 pm
Obesity can be defined as excessive body mass. It is a major cause of disabilities and has been linked to various illnesses and conditions, including osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Types of obesity
Obesity in the general population is commonly classified by medical professionals using body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing your body weight by your height. You are considered overweight if your BMI is between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m².
Three broad categories of obesity are:
• Class I obesity with BMI 30 to <35 kg/m²
• Class II obesity with BMI 35 to <40 kg/m²
• Class III obesity with BMI 40+ kg/m²
Causes of obesity
Obesity can develop over time if you consume more calories than you use through regular exercise and daily activity. These extra calories accumulate over time and lead to weight gain. However, there are many other causes, such as:
• Genetics: Genes affect how your body processes food. You are probably more likely to gain weight if your parents are obese.
• Unhealthy eating habits: Consuming fast or processed foods that are rich in sugars, unhealthy fats, and low in nutrients.
• Sedentary lifestyles: Lack of physical activity is one of the major causes of obesity, next to unhealthy eating habits.
• Hormones: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that disrupts the balance of female reproductive hormones in women, causing weight gain.
• Hypothyroidism: It leads to a low metabolic rate and causes weight gain
• Cushing syndrome: It causes high cortisol levels in the body, which cause an increase in appetite, leading to weight gain.
• Certain medications: Steroids, anti-depressants, and birth control pills, for example, can increase your risk of weight gain.
• Eating conditions such as binge eating and night eating syndrome.
Diagnosis of obesity
Healthcare professionals frequently use BMI to classify obesity in the general population. Despite its shortcomings, BMI is a simple indicator that can help you identify the health risks associated with obesity.
Other precise methods of calculating body fat and body fat distribution include:
• Skinfold thickness test: measures the distance between the underlying muscle and the fat layer.
• Waist-to-hip measurements: the circumference of the waist is divided by the circumference of the hips to obtain a ratio. The ratio should be 0.8 or less for women and 1.0 or less for men.
• Screening procedures like MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds: also determine the fat content in the body
To diagnose the health risks associated with obesity, your doctor might also recommend a few tests, such as:
• Blood tests to measure sugar and cholesterol levels
• Liver function tests
• A diabetes examination
• Thyroid test
• hormone screening, especially in women
• Heart examinations, like an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
Precautions and treatment of obesity
Treatment methods for obesity differ from person to person, focus on various issues, and are typically dependent on underlying medical conditions. Some lifestyle changes can help you lose weight in a healthy manner and significantly improve this complex disease. If you have a high BMI, you should prioritise your health by choosing a healthy lifestyle.
Lifestyle changes
• Eating a healthy diet: Discarding all processed and high-carb foods is important to lose weight. Focus on including proteins and healthy fats with minimal carbs when starting a weight loss journey.
• Keeping track of calories: You must consume fewer calories than you burn to lose weight.
• Exercise regime: Exercise is a crucial part of leading a healthy lifestyle. To get started with a healthy lifestyle, walk 5,000 steps or do 15 minutes of exercise each day to start. Include weight training to prevent the loss of muscle mass that occurs while dieting.
Medications
In some cases, medications are recommended to combat obesity. Remember that not everyone should take these medications. A few of them have adverse effects. You must also continue the diet and exercise changes mentioned above.
Appetite suppressants like phentermine, diethylpropion, and semaglutide and medications for binge eating disorders like lisdexamfetamine dimesylate are usually recommended in some cases.
Weight loss surgery
If you are diagnosed with class III obesity, you may consider bariatric surgery. It is a drastic but incredibly effective way to lose significant amounts of weight over the long term. This procedure involves cutting the stomach to create a pouch that can only hold a small amount of food. This surgery is not recommended frequently and is only considered in certain exceptional conditions, which include:
1. When your BMI is greater than 35
2. When you have severe type 2 diabetes
3. In certain cases in which dietary modifications haven’t worked
Bariatric surgery includes sleeve gastrectomy, laparoscopic gastric band, and gastric bypass.
Myths related to obesity
Obesity is a disease of lethargic people.
To some extent, obesity occurs due to poor lifestyle choices, but it is often a symptom or a cause of an underlying disease. Factors including stress, poor sleep quality, hormonal changes, and underlying health conditions like thyroid disease, medications, genetics, and others, have also been linked to an increase in obesity.
Weight loss will cure obesity.
Losing weight too quickly slows your metabolism and increases muscle loss. Additionally, it may result in nutrient deficiencies, sleep disorders, gallstones, and other health problems. One must always focus on fat loss rather than simply losing weight.
Complications of obesity
Various health issues, some of which can be fatal if untreated, have been connected to obesity:
• Cardiovascular diseases like coronary artery disease, heart attack, and hypertension.
• Type 2 diabetes
• A fatty liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis
• Chronic kidney disease
• Gall bladder stones
• Osteoarthritis
• Chronic back pain
• Some cancers like breast, endometrial, and colon cancers
• Infertility
• Psychological issues like depression
Numerous diseases have obesity as a cause as well as a symptom. To manage this condition, lifestyle changes, surgical procedures, and occasionally medications are used.
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