INTRODUCTION
Today's health talk is about obesity. You already know what that means. You have probably encountered an obese person before. However do not confuse obesity with overweight. While both are similar(both conditions means you have excess body fat) , there is a difference between them.
Obesity is when you have excess body fat in your body and the way excess fat have gotten to a level that is detrimental to your health.
Overweight is a condition when you have more body fat than what is considered healthy for your body height or type.
Obesity can therefore be defined in terms of overweight as "extreme overweight ". Am I making sense? 😀
Obesity increases the risk of various diseases which kills millions of people per year. However, obesity is easily preventable and treated. Hence, the reason it is referred to as " a preventable cause of death".
HOW DO I KNOW I'M OBESE?!
Generally speaking, you are not considered obese until your adipose tissue ( medical term for fat) is at least 20%(for men) or 25%(for women) higher than normal.
The most common way to know whether you are obese or not is to take the " Body Mass Index" or BMI test.
BMI values are obtained by dividing your weight (in kg) by your square of your height( in metres squared). You are considered obese when your BMI is above 30. However, the value above which you are considered obese may vary in some countries. Some Asian countries consider a person obese when your BMI is around 28.
BMI values
Classification
Below 18.5- Underweight
18.5-25.0- Normal weight
25.0-30.0- Overweight
30.0-35.0- Class I Obesity
35.0-40.0- Class II Obesity
Above 40.0- Class III Obesity
Another way to know whether you are obese or not is the waist circumference test. Women that have a waist circumference of more than 35inches(80cm) and men with waist circumference of more than 40inches (120cm) are considered obese.
QUICKLY, SOME FACTS ABOUT OBESITY
Facts about overweight and obesity
Some recent WHO global estimates follow.
In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight. Of these over 650 million adults were obese.
In 2016, 39% of adults aged 18 years and over (39% of men and 40% of women) wer e overweight.
Overall, about 13% of the world’s adult population (11% of men and 15% of women) were obese in 2016.
The worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016.
CAUSES OF OBESITY
*overeating/excessive food: overeating is one of the leading causes of obesity. When you overeat,you take in more calories than your body can burn. The excess are turned into fat and stored in your body.
*Lack of exercise/physical activity : this also causes obesity.Most people sit behind a desk all day and prefer to spend their free time watching TV or browsing. They don't even take a stroll. They are over reliant on cars. They don't do anything that will burn excess calories in their body.
*Genetics: There are some rare genetic conditions that causes obesity. An example is the 'Prader-Willi' syndrome. The syndrome is hardly transferred to offspring. Most cases occur as a result of mutation.
HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF OBESITY
*Cardiovascular problems: Having too much fat in your body is not good for your health. It can lead to heart diseases. The risk of heart diseases increases as your weight increases. Obesity can also cause high blood pressure which is a major risk factor for stroke.
*Diabetes: Obesity leads to a type of diabetes called type 2 diabetes. Diabetes leads to high levels of blood sugar. Diabetes is of course one of the leading causes of stroke and early death.
*Cancer
"The world cancer research says that roughly 20% of cancer cases in the US are linked to body weight, unhealthy diets, excess alcohol consumption or could be prevented."
Being overweight increases your chance of breasts, kidney, pancreas, colon and rectum, oesophagus and endometrium cancer.
PREVENTION/TREATMENT OF OBESITY
*Healthy lifestyle: Obesity can be prevented and treated by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Stay away from alcohol consumption, eat heathy diet an exercise regularly. Exercise burns body fat and can help in weight loss.
Obese people should take less of food rich in starch and fat. Also , obese people can go on a special diet that will help them lose body weight. But whatever you do, always consult a doctor.
*Keep moving: Yes, keep moving. Park farther from store entrances. Take a stroll around the garden. Get up and move periodically.
Prescription drugs: There are some drugs that can help you lose weight. However, do not take any drugs without consulting your doctor.
*Participation in weight loss program: There are a lot of weight loss program out there. Register with one of them. Weight loss program can be interesting and losing weight might actually turn out to be fun for you. 😁😁😁
*Weight loss surgery: In extreme cases of obesity , you might decide to opt for surgery although surgery should only be a last resort after seeking medical advice.
CONCLUSION
Obesity have a lot of adverse effects on your health. Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases and conditions all which could b prevented if the body fat is not too much.
Therefore conscious effort should be taken to lose body fat when are in excess in order to prevent body fat from accumulating to dangerous levels.
That's all for today. Please leave a comment or feedback below.
REFERENCES
NHS
Mayoclinic
Braceability
NINIHORLAH( Knower Of Nothing)