Obesity is a state of excess adipose tissue mass. It can also be defined as a progressive disease with excess fat accumulation which has multiple consequences. It is associated with the accumulation of adipose tissue in the body that is excessive for an individual’s height, weight, gender & race to an extent that it produces adverse health outcomes.It is one of the most neglected yet visible risk factor contributing to the several other disorders worldwide. Obesity is the tip of iceberg which includes various diseases like cardio vascular disease, Type II Diabetes, osteoarthritis or even some types of cancers.On many occasions it becomes a cosmetic issue, but at the same time can cause various other risks & decreased quality of life.
Assessment of obesity-
Body fat percentage is total body fat expressed as a percentage of total body weight. It is generally agreed that men withmore than 25% body fat & women with more than 33% body fat are obese. A certain amount of fat is necessary for body to function properly as it is the key factor for storing energy, heat insulation, shock absorption & other functions. It is stored in the form of adipose tissue in our body. Although not a direct measure of adiposity, the most widely used method to gauge obesity is the body mass index (BMI), which is equal to weight/height square (in kg/m square). The reference range used to categorize individuals is:
BMI CLASSIFICATION-
<18.5 Underweight
18.5-24.9 Normal weight
25.0-29.9 Overweight
30.0-34.9 Class I obesity
35.0-39.0 Class II obesity
>40.0 Class III obesity
(Morbid obesity)
Along with BMI certain other measures may also be taken into consideration to assess an individual in terms of nutrition. These are waist circumference, hip circumference, waist to hip ratio: a ratio of >0.9 in women & >1.0 in men is considered abnormal, markers of nutrition e.g., mid arm circumference, skin fold thickness, etc.
Two major patterns of obesity are observed in population, although these patterns are not gender specific, both the sexes can have any pattern, but it is seen that cross patterns are more dangerous. In females, the pattern seen is pear shaped obesity, i.e., they tend to collect fat in their thighs & buttocks. In males, fat usually collect around the belly, giving them apple shaped pattern of obesity.
Causes of obesity-
·For each individual, body weight is the result of a combination of genetic factor, metabolic, behavioural, environmental, cultural & socioeconomic influences.
·Behavioural & environment factors are large contributors to overweight & obesity & provide the greatest opportunity for actions & interventions designed for prevention & treatment.
Fundamental causes-
·Hereditary- determines how susceptible an individual is to become overweight or obese.
·Genetically- a person is influenced by how the body uses calories for energy & how the body stores fat.
·Familial- obesity is an established risk factor, which exposes an individual to develop obesity.
Exciting & maintaining factors-
·Eating habits- contribute to the development of overweight & obese states specially in individuals consuming food rich in animal fats, vegetable oils & sugar/syrups & less of vegetables, fruits & other high starchy foods.
·Lack of exercise & workout.
·Increasing industrialization, better transportation facilities, more mechanization at home & workplace.
Medical cause associated with obesity-
·Cushing’s syndrome
·Hypothyroidism
·Insulinoma
Complications-
Obesity is just the tip of the “ice berg” of major symptom syndromes. It has direct association with many syndromes like diabetes, hypertension, insulin resistance, etc. Obesity affects more or less every system of the body.
Management-
Management is one of the most important key factors in dealing with obesity in long term.
It is a chronic disease that requires long-term intervention & judicial employment of medication, if necessary. The intervention in obesity can be from any of the following listed strategies, single or in combination:
·Dietary
·Life style related- physical exercise, behavior modification etc.
·Medicinal
·Surgical
All of the above intervention require close monitoring & follow ups.
·Physical exercise
·Behavioral therapy
·Dietary medication
·Surgical treatment
Do you know- How Honey Helps in Weight Loss?
Foods containing excess Fats
Written by Dr.Simran
The MURDOCK Study: Osteoarthritis
Video Rating: 0 / 5