During the past 20 years, obesity has significantly risen in the United States. To be more precise, the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older (over 60 million people) are obese. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6%26ndash;19, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight. That%26rsquo;s why this disease could be rightly called %26ldquo;the disease of the modern age%26rdquo;. Although people are aware of the great dangers that this disease is carrying with it, current data indicate that the situation is worsening rather than improving.
Why is obesity so serious?
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following:%26bull; Hypertension
%26bull; Dyslipidemia
%26bull; Type 2 diabetes
%26bull; Coronary heart disease
%26bull; Stroke
%26bull; Gallbladder disease
%26bull; Osteoarthritis
%26bull; Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
%26bull; Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
What exactly is obesity?
The precise definition of obesity is that it represents a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and mammals is increased to a point where it is thought to be a risk factor for certain health conditions or increased mortality. There are several methods by which you can determine whether you%26rsquo;re obese: measuring BMI (Body Mass Index), waist circumference, evaluating the presence of risk factors and comorbidities.
BMI - body mass index
It is a very precise measurement which is easily calculated by dividing the subject's weight in kilograms by the square of his/her height in meters (BMI = kg / m2).
It is considered that a person with a BMI which is:
%26bull; less than 18.5 is underweight
%26bull; between 18.5 - 24.9 is normal weight
%26bull; between 25.0 - 29.9 is overweight
%26bull; between 30.0 - 39.9 is obese
%26bull; 40.0 or higher is severely obese
BMI is a simple and widely-used method for estimating body fat. BMI as an indicator of a clinical condition is used in conjunction with other clinical assessments.
Measuring Waist circumference
The problem with BMI is that it does not take into account differing ratios of adipose to lean tissue, nor does it distinguish between differing forms of adiposity. Two different measures are being used to determine the level of obesity:
%26bull; the absolute waist circumference (%26gt;102 cm in men and %26gt;88 cm in women)
%26bull; waist-hip ratio (%26gt;0.9 for men and %26gt;0.85 for women)
Body fat measurement
Most doctors agree that men with more than 25% body fat and women with more than 30% body fat are obese. It could be extremely difficult to measure the exact percentage of body fat but the most accepted method has been to weigh a person underwater. Only problem is that underwater weighing is a procedure limited to laboratories with special equipment.
Risk factors and comorbidities
The presence of risk factors and diseases associated with obesity are also used to establish a clinical diagnosis. Possible life-threatening risk factors that would indicate clinical treatment of obesity are:
%26bull; Coronary heart disease
%26bull; Type II diabetes
%26bull; Sleep apnea
%26bull; Smoking
%26bull; Hypertension
%26bull; age and family history
What are the causes of obesity?
When food energy intake exceeds energy expenditure, fat cells take in the energy and store it as fat. Therefore, obesity is only made possible when the lifetime energy intake exceeds lifetime energy expenditure.
It is proven that in all individuals, the excess energy utilized to generate fat reserves is minute relative to the total number of calories consumed.
Risk factors that have been suggested to contribute to the development of obesity include:
%26bull; Sedentary lifestyle - it is proven that sedentary people are more likely to gain weight because they don%26rsquo;t burn calories through physical activities
%26bull; A high glycemic diet %26ndash; diet rich in sugar
%26bull; Weight cycling, caused by repeated attempts to lose weight by dieting
%26bull; Underlying illness
%26bull; Genetic disorders
%26bull; Eating disorders
%26bull; Stressful mentality
%26bull; Insufficient sleep
%26bull; Certain medications
%26bull; Smoking cessation
%26bull; Genetic factors
%26bull; During pregnancy a woman's weight necessarily increases
%26bull; Drinking alcohol adds calories to diet. Excessive drinking can stimulate appetite and make a person less likely to control portion sizes
Genetical and environmental factors
Caloric imbalance that results in obesity often develops from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Different imbalances in various genes controlling appetite, metabolism, and adipokine release predispose to obesity. Although various genetic abnormalities that predispose to obesity have been identified, single-locus mutations have been found in only about 5% of obese individuals.
Binge eating disorder (BED)
Several eating disorders are associated with obesity, especially binge eating disorder. In such cases eating serves to reduce the anxiety. An important additional factor is that BED patients often lack the ability to recognize hunger and satiety, something that is normally learned in childhood.
Complications of obesity
%26bull; High blood pressure
It is proven that obesity puts you at high risk for developing high blood pressure. Just like other parts of the body, fatty tissue relies on oxygen and nutrients in the blood to survive. As demand for oxygen increases, the amount of blood circulating through your body also increases. Weight gain also typically increases the level of insulin, and this increase is associated with retention of sodium and water, which increases blood volume. This is also associated with high risk for developing coronary artery disease and possibly a stroke.
%26bull; Diabetes
Obesity is a leading cause of type 2 diabetes. Excess fat makes body resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps your body maintain a proper level of a sugar in your blood. If your body is resistant to insulin, your blood sugar is high.
%26bull; Abnormal blood fats
A diet high in saturated fats can lead to obesity as well as elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Practicing this kind of diet for a long time leads to having abnormal blood fats which can contribute to atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in arteries throughout your body.
%26bull; Osteoarthritis
It is easy to understand that obesity can affects the knees, hips and lower back contributing to development of a bone disorder called osteoarthritis.
%26bull; Sleep apnea
Several studies have proven that obesity can contribute tho the development of a condition called sleep apnea. It is characterized by pauses of breathing for short periods during sleep and heavy snoring.
%26bull; Cancer
Many types of cancer are associated with being overweight. In women, these include cancers of the breast, uterus, cervix, ovaries and gallbladder. Overweight men have a particularly higher risk of cancers of the colon, rectum and the prostate.
%26bull; Fatty liver disease
When someone is obese, fats can build up in liver which usually leads to inflammation and scarring of the liver. Such scarring can cause cirrhosis of the liver.
%26bull; Gallbladder disease
Some researches have proven that overweight people produce more cholesterol which could be deposited in the gallbladder. That%26rsquo;s why the risk of gallstones is higher in obese people.
Treatment of obesity
%26bull; Dietary changes
Consuming fewer calories is an important and crucial factor for successful weight loss. The so called %26ldquo;crash diets%26rdquo; aren't recommended because they can cut too many calories and nutrients that they can lead to other health problems, such as vitamin deficiencies. Low calorie liquid diets are sometimes prescribed as an intervention for seriously obese people and they could be very helpful. Replacing one or two meals with a low-calorie shake, having vegetables and fruits for a snack and a balancef third meal that is low in fat and calories are recommended.
%26bull; Increased physical activity
Another way to lose weight is to increase physical activity. Several studies have found that people who change their posture and periodically do some physical activity burn as much as an extra 350 calories a day compared with more sedentary people. Those calories could translate to a loss of more than 30 pounds over the course of a year, which means that even a little activity throughout the day can add up and help promote a healthy weight.
%26bull; Medications for weight loss
The two main prescription weight-loss medications are Sibutramine (Meridia) and Orlistat (Xenical). These drugs inhibit the absorption of fat in the intestines.
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