Obesity - a serious health problem

Obesity is a serious health problem that is additionally associated with a number of co-morbidities, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, and congestive heart failure. The relative risks of hypertension, hypercholestrolaemia and diabetes are higher in overweight persons than in persons who are not overweight.
Higher body weight is also associated with increase in rates of mortality due to all causes, and evidence is accumulating that supports the benefits of weight reduction. Although short-term weight loss in obese patients can be achieved with a diet and exercise programme. Patients usually start to regain the weight soon after ending such an intervention.
The patients are encouraged to have reduced-energy diets, increased physical activity and behaviour therapy to promote and maintain weight loss.
It is generally recommended that all patients with hypertension who are above their desirable weight, should be prescribed an individualised, monitored weight reduction programme involving caloric restriction and increased physical activity.
A general weight reduction programme should help patients with hypertension to lose weight and maintain the loss over time.
Obesity is a state of being unhealthily overweight, a condition in which somebody's weight is more than 20 percent higher than is recommended for that person's height.
Overweight or obesity means that there is an excess collection of body fat. This is mainly due to imbalance in energy intake and its utilization.
Obesity is one of the most serious public health problems facing both developed and developing countries today. It affects the quality of life and can lead to a range of life threatening diseases such as heart diseases and type II diabetes.
Imbalaced diet: Diet with high fat contents plays important role in gaining weight as a high fat containing diet can promote an over eating and consequently excessive energy intake. Whatever you take as extra energy is stored in your body and causes you to put on weight.
Lack of physical activity: Exercise forces the body to use more energy. Regular physical activity can increase the capacity of the body to utilize stored fat for energy in preference to carbohydrate.
Hormonal changes: sometimes hormonal imbalance in any person lead him/her to obesity.
Medical conditions: Some medical conditions can also cause weight gain like anxiety, depression and hypothyroidsm.
Heredity: Obesity runs in the family. There is a higher incidence of obese children when they have one or both parents obese.
Weight gain a major health problem. It not only increases the health risk, but it also reduces life expectancy.
Obesity contributes to the development of the following conditions:
Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, hyperlipidaemia (increased quantities of fat within the blood), gall stones, depression, joints pain, certain cancers
Not only this but overweight patients may suffer from, social isolation, reduced job prospects, low self esteem, poor quality of life.
Benefits of losing weight
A weight loss of between 5% and 10% of the initial body weight reduces the risks associated with obesity. Losing weight has obvious medical benefits as well as beneficial effects on well being and self esteem.
Medical benefits
-- A decrease in body weight can help you in prevention of different obesity related diseases.
-- A sustained moderate weight loss is shown to be associated with reduction in mortality by obesity related conditions.
-- Moderate weight loss reduces diabetes related problems.
-- Weight loss also reduces the risk of obesity related cancers.
-- High blood pressure can be normalized in more than two third of patients who loose 50% of their excess weight.
-- Even moderate weight loss can reduce cardiovascular risks.
-- Weight reduction helps in relieving back and joint pains.
Psychosocial benefits: Improvement in general health, better figure, self confidence, better social life, more energy.
How to manage your weight:
Weight management incorporates firstly avoiding weight gain, secondly loosing weight, and thirdly management of other risk factors. Once your doctor has labeled you an overweight/obese patient, you must follow advises from your doctor for loosing weight. Loosing excess weight is a gradual process. It is important that once you loose weight and have achieved the desired weight you must maintain that lost weight and do not regain. The weight loss can be achieved by a change in diet and dietary habits, exercises , change in life style, and by using drugs.
Diet plays an important role in reducing weight. How much one eats (and, to some extent, what one eats) is a major determinant of bodyweight.
An average obese patient should not take more than the required food as energy rather should take even less than what is required so that he/she can lose weight. This energy comes from three groups comprising your food i.e. carbohydrates (sugars), proteins, and fats.
Some dietary tips
-- Make a record of every thing you eat.
-- Take meals regularly
-- Don't skip meals
-- Don't take snacks in between meals
-- Eat more vegetables and fruits
-- Take less of fat and oils.
-- Use sugar in moderation
-- Separate your eating from other activities such as watching TV, reading news paper etc.
-- The diet should contain, Fat 30 percent, Protein 15 percent, Carbohydrates (sugar) 55 percent.
Exercise: Increased physical activity or exercise can promote modest weight loss. Exercise along with diet control increase the amount of weight loss, improve the maintenance of weight loss, and provide the health benefits that go beyond weight loss alone.
The obese people should preffered such activities that lead to more energy consumption. For example using stairs or steps instead of lifts, travelling by foot wherever possible, getting of the bus a stop earlier than usual. Choose exercises that make the whole body work. Examples are brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming according to health status or advised by the doctor.
Benefits of exercise
-- Exercise helps in consuming extra calories.
-- Improves figure.
-- Make your heart stronger.
-- Lower high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
-- Decreases extra fat keep you active.
One can start exercising at any time but if he/she have not taken any exercise for some time or over 40 years age or have recently been ill or have any joint problem consult the doctor before doing any strenuous exercise.
Remember to start slowly and build gradually daily exercise, do not exhaust yourself, do not exercise after meals.
Life style change or behaviour modification:
Life style change also known as behaviour modification intend to help obese patient to change behaviours related to their eating and/or physical activity, and thus to improve adherence to their weight loss management strategies.
Life style change encourages patients to become more aware of their eating and exercises plan. By changing life style they will be able to improve their eating pattern with good selection of food and taking responsibility for loosing, controlling, and maintenance of weight.
Lifestyle change should include: food diary, weight record, exercise record, eat in a particular place (not in TV lounge, or car, or while going somewhere on foot etc.), regular habit of physical activity, social support from family, and friends, advice from healthcare professionals.