Understanding Obesity

You may often have heard people using the term 'Obesity'. While some of them might be in the know of what this condition actually is, most of the times, the word is used quite loosely. So, while speaking of 'Obesity' what we're actually talking about is your body weight exceeding that which is normally considered healthy. To be more precise, in numerical terms, you can only be called obese if you weight more than 20 percent more than your ideal body weight. While calculating your ideal weight, you must take into account your height, age, sex, and build.

However, if you're looking for the most appropriate measure of obesity, rely on the body mass index (BMI). In BMI terms, you need to start worrying if your BMI is 30 or more.

BMI

A BMI measure is always based on your height and weight. It is considered a perfect estimate of body fat and a fair way to gauge your susceptibility to illnesses related to body fat; the higher the BMI, the higher your risk of disease.

Waist Circumference

If you're one of the unlucky ones who suffer from abdominal obesity (the fat in your body is around your waist rather than the hips) you are at a higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If you're a lady you should start worrying if your waist size is greater than 35 inches and 40 inches if you're a man.

Development of Obesity

How obesity occurs

One of the main things that baffle most people who suffer from obesity is, "How did I get here?" Often, we might not really be paying attention to what we put into our mouths; and more importantly, we might not be paying any attention to how much exercise we're getting

Now, this is how the human body normally functions:

  • We consume food and our body draws energy from it.
  • All the energy that isn't used, gets stored as fat.
  • Obesity occurs when we consume more calories than we can burn.
  • It is true that our body needs these calories to sustain life and be physically active, but to maintain our weight; we need to make sure what we eat and what we burn is balanced out.
  • If we tend to eat more than we can burn, the energy balance gets tipped towards weight gain and obesity.

While this is true for most individuals, there are some factors such as genetics, environmental factors and others factors that play an important part in determining your weight gain/loss cycle.

Consequences of Obesity

One of the peculiar things about Obesity is that in addition to being a cosmetic problem, it is also one of the greatest health hazards in itself. The more obese you are, the more are your chances of suffering from other health problems and hence the more the care you need to take.

Some of the health risks that can arise as a side effect of obesity include:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Stroke
  • Certain types of cancer: Research has shown that men who are obese are more likely to develop colon, rectum or prostate cancer. On the other hand, women are more susceptible to develop cancers of the gallbladder, uterus, cervix or ovaries. Esophageal cancer has also been associated with obesity.
  • Gallbladder disease and gallstones
  • Fatty liver disease (also called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH)
  • Gastroesophageal reflux, or what is sometimes called GERD. This happens when your lower esophageal sphincter doesn't close properly and hence the contents of your stomach tend to leak back or reflux into the esophagus.
  • Osteoarthritis, a condition that occurs when the joints in your body deteriorate as a result of not being able to handle the excess weight placed on them.
  • Gout
  • Pulmonary (breathing) problems that include sleep apnea( which causes a person to stop breathing for a short time during sleep)
  • If you're a lady suffering from obesity , you could suffer from reproductive and menstrual problems
  • Emotional disorders such as depression

Causes of Obesity

  • Increased calorie intake
  • Sedentary life style
  • Heredity - Research has shown that children of obese parents are 10 times at more risk of being obese adults than the others. However, this isn't the only cause of obesity so a lot depends on eating habits that the family follows.
  • Emotional problems such as depression, anger, and anxiety are both contributors as well as results of obesity
  • Environmental factors that includes everything in your lifestyle; from the kind of food you eat, to how many time you eat out and how much activity you get
  • Family influences include the kind of patterns that are followed in our homes namely; cooking, eating, meal times, physical activity cycles associated with the family etc.
  • Very often the cause of obesity is hormone imbalances in our body. Here are some of the one's that can play a part in obesity:

    Hypothyroidism: A condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce enough thyroid hormone

    Cushing's syndrome: A disorder that results as a prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone, cortisol

    Polycystic ovary syndrome: A condition that's characterized by high levels of male hormones, irregular or missed menstrual cycles and in some cases, multiple small cysts in the ovaries

  • If you're taking drugs such as steroids, antidepressants or medication for psychiatric conditions or seizure disorders, you might suffer from weight gain

So, as you must have realized, some causes of obesity can be altered while the others can't. These causes of high blood pressure can be divided into changeable and non-changeable causes.

Non changeable causes: Age, Gender, Family History

Changeable causes: Activity, Diet, Family influences