Excessive accumulation of fat in the body causes a medical condition known as obesity. Obesity, in the long run, may become a reason for various health troubles. If a person’s weight exceeds by 20% of the normal weight, he/she is said to be obese. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a statistical measurement analysed according to your weight and height. If your BMI is between 25 and 29 you may be tagged as overweight. However, if it exceeds 30, you may be suffering from obesity.
Childhood obesity is a condition wherein excess fat accumulated in a child’s body adversely affects his/her mental and physical growth.
Obesity, if not treated well in time, can be the root cause of various health problems like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoarthritis, respiratory troubles, high blood pressure, stroke and cancer. It is even believed to reduce life expectancy. If medical reports are to be believed, being overweight or obese kills more people worldwide than conditions like underweight or malnutrition.
Obesity is common in lower and middle-income countries, especially in the urban set up. It is a great threat to health as it puts extra weight and stress on each and every part of the body. There are various causes that may lead to obesity.
- Eating more food than what your body needs; consuming more calories than you can burn.
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Lack of physical activity or exercise
- Consuming too much of alcohol
- Lack of proper sleep
- Medications that may increase weight
- Women may become obese after pregnancy, as they are unable to lose weight, or during menopause.
Signs and symptoms
As soon as you observe that your body has started putting on some kilos, you should get a health check-up done. The ways to check your weight are:
- Your Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Your waist circumference
- Check up for thyroid
- Check up for skin fold measurements or other hormone problems
- The good news is that obesity is preventable. However, you have to remember two important points while being treated for this condition – to lose weight to a healthy level and to maintain it.
- Here are few tips that can help you fight obesity:
- Keep your will-power strong.
- Make necessary changes in your lifestyle.
- Add a 30 minutes to one hour of exercise session to your daily routine.
- Include healthy and nutritious food to your diet rather than oily, fatty and junk food.
- Have limited portions during every meal.
Besides this, there are several medications through which you will be able to lose your weight. However, these medicines are not reliable, as your weight will start increasing as soon as you stop taking them.
You may even opt for weight-loss surgeries like gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic gastric banding. These surgeries will reduce the fat content in your body. However, once the surgery is performed, you need to take care of your diet, and also go for regular exercise. Bariatric surgery reduces the risk of suffering from several other health problems caused due to obesity like diabetes, heart troubles, arthritis, high blood pressure, stroke and cancer.