Obesity cause, diagonosis and treatment

Obesity means having excess body fat. Eating too much or moving little can make us obese. When the high amount of energy is consumed from the food we eat such as from fats and sugars, it becomes essential to burn off the energy either through physical activities or exercise. If one does not follow the same, then the surplus energy will get stored as fat in the body.

As per the statistics, there are millions of Americans and people worldwide who are obese or overweight, which enhances their risk for many health problems such as:

·        High blood pressure (Hypertension)

·        Breathing problem

·        Diabetes type 2

·        Certain cancers

·        Coronary heart diseases

·        Gallstones

According to World Health Organization, obesity have reached epidemic globally from which 2.8 million die every year of obesity or being overweight.

Causes

There is a list of factors which gives some contribution in the development of obesity.

·        Poor eating habits- The food that we consume has a direct impact on our body. Obesity never happens overnight, instead it gradually develops over time due to the result of poor diet or our lifestyle choices. Excessive consumption of processed or fast food rich in sugar and fat content, drinking too much alcohol, eating large portions of food and intake of sugary drinks. These are all our unhealthy eating habits which tend to run in the family and we adopt them, as we grow.

·        No physical activities/exercise- Sometimes, we get so lazy that we ignore all physical activities at home or outside and this results in obesity. Regular physical activities are really essential for our body, because many of us do jobs that involves only sitting at the desk. We hardly walk and instead use cars for even small distances. Being inactive means we do not use the energy provided by the food we ate and the extra energy consumed gets stored as fat.

·        Heredity- It’s a normal conception of people that they could not lose weight because it’s their genes that stops them or the problem already runs in the family, so they can’t. I do agree that genes do have a hand with obesity, but it is possible to lose weight too. Following diet for weight loss and doing physical exercise can be considered.

·        Medical problems- In some cases, underlying medical conditions also lead to weight gain. The examples include: Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), in which thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. Cushing’s syndrome is another problem which causes weight gain. It is found to be a rare disorder which tends to cause over production of the steroid hormones. These medical conditions if get early diagnosed and treated than creates less hurdle in weight loss.

·        Certain medications-  There are several medicines too, which may cause weight gain. These include corticosteroids, medicines for diseases like epilepsy and diabetes. Whereas, some medicines which could treat mental illness such as antidepressants and medicines for schizophrenia also lead to weight gain. Weight gain can also be sometimes taken as a side effect when one stops smoking.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of obesity is usually grounded on a physical exam and patient’s history, such as eating and exercise habits. Body mass index (BMI) is one of the ways to know whether you are overweight or not. The measurement not only depicts a body fat, but also is a good instrument to evaluate health dangers associated with being obese or overweight.

 We can calculate BMI by using this formula:

BMI = body weight (kg) ÷ height² (m)

BMI value	Classification	Health risk
Below 18.5	Underweight	Increased
18.5 to 24.9	Normal weight	Least
25.0 to 29.9	Overweight	Increased
30.0 to 34.9	Obese class 1	High
35.0 to 39.9	Obese class 2	Very high
40 or above	Extreme obesity	Extremely high

Doctors may also use some other measurements, such as waist size, to evaluate health hazards linked to excess abdominal fat.

Treatment

·        Regular physical activities- Exercise is the best and most effective way to shed some extra weight. Each and everyone should aim for at least thirty minutes of moderate intensity exercise that too five days a week.  Those who are overweight or obese should indulge in 60-90 minutes of exercise daily. Moderate intensity exercise includes: brisk walk, dancing, swimming, jogging and playing tennis or badminton.

·        Diet plan-  Changing dietary plan is utmost important to lead a healthy balanced life. If you follow diet for weight loss, then you have to be aware of what items to eat and which ones to avoid. Try to include more of fiber in the diet, good sources of fiber include: whole grain bread, oats, lentils, peas, fresh fruits and vegetables and seeds. Limit fatty food items like full cream milk or butter and choose low fat options such as lean meat, mono-unsaturated or polyunsaturated spreads in place of butter.

·        Weight loss medicines- Prescription weight loss pills are sometimes also known by the name of anti obesity drug or diet pills. These weightloss medicines serves as an additional tool in the treatment of weight loss. The additional tool to medications prescribed include a plan consisting of lower fat and calorie foods along with regular physical exercise. Before trying any natural weight loss pill or medication, it is highly recommended to consult your physician. Orlistat is a weight loss medicine, which is recommended to those who are obese or overweight. As per the studies, orlistat followed by weight loss diet and exercise may help to shed some extra weight. People could see the results in about first six months after taking it. Lorcaserin is another weight loss medication which has been approved by FDA. It can be prescribed to those adults who are obese or overweight and face several weight related medical problems. Comes from a class of medications called serotonin receptor agonist, it acts by increasing feelings of fullness so that less food is consumed.

·        Surgery- Weight loss surgery can be considered for people who are extremely overweight or obese. If you have tried every possible weight loss treatment and does not get any benefits, then surgery may work for you, but consult your doctor first before choosing any weight loss treatment.