Have you ever been pointed out for your weight?? Or do you feel a little heavier than those of your friends? Did you notice some extra fat around your waist or hips? If yes then you might be overweight or suffering from obesity.
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What does obesity mean?
Obesity is a situation where the body starts accumulating excess fats which can lead to various health problems. The BMI (body mass index) which is measured using the height and weight of a person could be above the level it should have been.
Obesity occurs from taking in more calories than the amount necessary by your body. When a person starts taking in more calories compared to what he/she burns, the excess creates an imbalance which results in obesity. Apart from calorie intake, sometimes the reasons could be other as well for the obesity that we will study later on in this article.
According to a report, nearly 39 percent of adults (18 years and older) worldwide were overweight as of 2019.
How can you check if you are obese?
A healthy amount of fat is always required by the body. It is one of the important nutrients for the body. But we never know what amount of fat is healthy for our body. For that purpose, Doctors have a BMI method to check on body fat. BMI is basically Body Fat Index where the height and weight of a person are taken into consideration to calculate the body fat. Weight in kilograms is divided by height into meter squares to determine BMI. 30 or above BMI in the case of adults means they have unwanted fats stored in their body and are considered as obese.
What causes obesity?
Genetics: – Genes may play a role in how efficiently you convert fat into energy or how much time you take to digest your food. It is common that if your parents or one of them is obese, there are chances of you becoming obese as well. Although, It is observed in a few cases that even obese parents have healthy kids and it is mainly because of an active lifestyle and eating pattern. The eating pattern of your family might influence your weight.
Some hormones which you may inherit from your parents such as growth hormones responsible for height, bone, and muscle can contribute to gaining weight.
Also Read : WHY SUICIDE RATES AMONG TEENAGERS ARE HIGH?
Sedentary lifestyle:– Sedentary lifestyle is one of the major causes of obesity. Inactive people resist burning calories in their body which may turn into fats. Active people when working out or performing some physical activity burns out the excess calories present in their body. A lethargic attitude leads to many diseases such as diabetes, heart problems, cancer, etc which can affect one mentally and physically and sometimes emotionally as well.
Food habits:- Who doesn’t like to eat pizza, burgers, noodles, cakes, pastries, and other junk foods? Well everyone has a special corner for these foods. These foods are generally made up of refined flours and are rich in saturated fats and trans fat which boosts up depression. Consuming such foods on a daily basis is harmful to health and leads to obesity. Processed foods are also adding to this health problem.
Medications:– Some medications tend to build fat in our body which may not be required. Anti-depressant, antipsychotics, oral contraceptives, steroids, diabetes medications, etc. leads to obesity in a person as a side effect of its consumption. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Managed Care found an increased incidence of weight gain and glucose regulation problems in people taking antipsychotic medication.
Disease:– Sometimes we suffer from various diseases that might take a toll on obesity in us. Cushing’s disease and polycystic ovary syndrome are such diseases.
Psychological illness:- Few mental issues like depression, anxiety, stress, etc can contribute to gaining weight. People tend to eat in excess and crave for high calories food when suffering from such disease. Also, the physical activity decreases which further adds to an increase in weight. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2005–2010 Forty-three percent of adults with depression were obese, and adults with depression were more likely to be obese than adults without depression.
Lack of sleep:– Sleep is very important for a healthy body and mind. A required amount of sleep is necessary to keep yourself fit and active during the day. On the other hand lack of sleep can cause various health issues and one of them is obesity. It causes changes in hormones such as an increase in ghrelin hormones which increases hunger and a decrease of leptin which is responsible for suppressing appetite. These imbalances lead to obesity in a person.
Problems arising due to obesity:-
Obesity is associated with many health issues. It results in various health problems such as:-
Sleep apnea
Breathing problem
Type-2 diabetes
Physical pain and the problem with physical activity.
Heart disease like heart strokes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol level
Heartburn, gallbladder problem, and liver disease
Different cancers like cervix, ovary breast, kidney, and pancreas cancer.
Lower self-esteem, depression, social isolation, shame, being fun among friends
Erectile dysfunction in men.
How to cure it:
Active lifestyle:- Active lifestyle is very much needed in order to have a healthy body and mind. Using stairs instead of lifts, walking more than riding or driving, involving yourself in physical activities, playing one or other games are some of the tricks you can use to make your life easy and active. These activities will help you burn out excessive Calories.
Exercise:- Exercise is always recommended either you are obese or not. Exercise has many benefits. It makes one’s body active and healthy. Performing exercise even for half an hour is sufficient. One can also go for yoga and other forms of exercise. It helps in burning out excess fat and also removes impurities through sweating.
The new data, published on, August 1, 2019, in the journal PLOS Genetics, showed that working out for 30 minutes at least three times a week was associated with a lower incidence of obesity even among people who are genetically predisposed to gain weight. Exercise lowers the chance of having many serious diseases.
Avoid junk food:– Food rich in high calories or carbohydrates should be avoided as much as possible. Processed foods have a high amount of saturated fats, carbohydrates, and sugar that may result in excessive body fats. Also, junk foods take maximum time to digest while other good foods take normally a couple of hours. Eating lunch out has the largest effect, adding 158 calories to daily caloric intake, compared to lunch prepared at home. Dinner out increases intake by 144 calories, and breakfast out adds 74 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Incorporate green vegetables, fruits, curd, and other healthy diets to your daily meal.
Proper sleep:- 7-8 hours of sleep is required by the body for better functioning and to relax the mind and body. Proper sleep will ensure the proper working of hormones inside the body which avoids many health-related issues. Many people suffer from insomnia and sleep derivations. One can meditate or perform yoga for better sleep along with a good diet.
Support:- In the case of teenagers, family support is much needed to cure obesity. Young adults mostly do what their family does. If you as a parent will exercise regularly and motivate your children for the same, they will surely continue it for a long. Don’t begin with large goals. Commence with small achievable goals and gradually increase the object. Start cooking new dishes at home using green vegetables and different healthy snacks. Avoid going out for dinner or lunch. Encourage your kid. Let them be aware of their good qualities. Be polite to them. This way you can motivate your kid to give up a sedentary lifestyle.
Obesity can be avoided easily. You just have to be a little cautious with what you eat and how you are spending your days.
