# Disease of Obesity

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- Published: 2021-09-13T05:20:33+00:00
- Author: alquimedezhemo

**Disease of Obesity**

![obese man](/wp-content/themes/alquimedezmentalia360/images/thumbnails/disease_obesity_img1.
jpg)

Obesity is a complex progressive disease according to the World Health Organization.
It is defined as having excess or abnormal fat accumulation that can have an adverse
effect on your health. Since 1995, worldwide obesity has nearly tripled which is
very alarming. Obesity can and is affecting adults as well as children.

**Measuring Obesity**
 A person’s BMI is calculated to check whether they are healthy
or not. BMI stands for Body Mass Index and it measures whether your weight is healthy
according to your height. For adults, 30 to 39.9 means you are obese and a BMI of
40 or above means you are severely obese. A better way to measure excess fat is 
checking the waist size. Generally, men with a waist size of 94 cm or more and women
with a waist size of 80 cm or more are more likely to develop obesity-related health
problems.

**Causes of Obesity**
 So, what causes obesity? Obesity is caused when you consume
more calories mostly through fatty and sugary foods, than you burn off through physical
activity. This excess energy is stored in the body as fat. Certain health conditions
like hypothyroidism can also cause obesity but if they are controlled by medicines,
usually they don’t lead to obesity.

**Risks**
 Moving on there are numerous health risks that are a result of obesity.
It includes diseases like: **Cardiovascular Diseases**

 * Coronary heart disease
 * Hypertension
 * Varicose Veins

**Respiratory Diseases**

 * Breathless
 * Hypoventilation syndrome
 * Sleep apnea

**Gastrointestinal Disorders**

 * Gallstones
 * Hernia
 * Fatty Liver

**Metabolic Disorders**

 * Insulin resistance
 * Hyperlipidemia
 * Diabetes mullites

**Prevention and Treatment**
 Obesity prevalence continues to increase at a worrisome
rate which is why obesity needs to be treated in order to reduce obesity related
health risks and to increase the life expectancy of people. A few ways of preventing
obesity are:

 1. **Dietary Restrictions**
     Restricting calorie intake can help to reduce obesity.
    Low calorie diets (LCD), which provide 100–1500 kcal/day, resulted in weight loss
    of 8% of baseline body weight over six months but on long run most of the lost 
    weight is regained. Other diets include Very Low Diets, meal replacements and more.
    Calories restrictions on their own has shown impressive results.
 2. **Behavioral Therapy**
     In the treatment of weight loss and maintain it, behavioral
    therapy can be very crucial. Self-control is essential in achieving positive results.
    Behaviors like eating quickly and eating while watching TV should be avoided.
 3. **Physical Activity**
     Energy balance and reduction in fat storage are possible
    by doing physical activity. Studies have shown that regular exercise can improve
    the physical and mental health of individuals which is why exercise can help obese
    individuals lose weight.
 4. **Pharmacotherapy**
     Individuals with BM<27 and BM>30 are advised drug treatments
    in case there is a medical risk. Weight loss medications should be used only as
    an adjunct to dietary and exercise regimes coupled with a program of behavioral
    treatment and nutritional counseling.
 5. **Bariatric Surgery**
     Bariatric surgery is a surgery for weight loss. A few types
    of bariatric surgery include laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (also called
    the lap band), gastric bypass, a sleeve gastrectomy, and biliopancreatic diversion

Overall, obesity is a very serious disease accompanied by various health issues 
like thyroid, heart diseases. There is no quick fix for obesity but hard work definitely
pays off. There are different ways of losing weight but maintaining that weight 
is also very important in the long run.