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Being Obese
By peace | December 6, 2006
Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems.
Weight can be an important indicator of the individual’s state of health. In particular, sudden changes in weight (either up or down), which are not related to an obvious cause, such as pregnancy or dieting, may be due to disease and should be reported to the doctor. But today, the main weight-related problems are those due to excess weight. In most developed countries, the principal dietary disorder is not a deficiency of essential nutrients, but rather a surplus of body fat. Apart from genetic inheritance, obesity is often caused by a combination of overeating, and not exercising enough to burn off excess calories. Obesity can lead to many health problems. People who are overweight are much more likely to suffer from heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, and cancers.
Each of us has an ideal weight which offers the best opportunity for good health and physical fitness. Body build, height and sex are all factors in determining ideal weight, which can vary considerably between apparently similar individuals. Fat should account for about 15-20% of body weight in healthy young adult men and 20-25% in healthy young adult women. These proportions will increase slightly with age. A greater level of body fat is considered unnecessary and unhealthy.
Being obese and being overweight are not the same condition. You are considered obese if you weigh 20% over your maximum weight. An accurate measure of obesity is given by your Body Mass Index (BMI). This figure is calculated as Weight(kg) divided by Height (m) squared. For both men and women, a BMI figure of between 20 and 25 is healthy. A BMI between 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. A person with a body mass index exceeding 30 is considered obese, and someone with a BMI of 40 or more has morbid obesity. Morbid obesity refers to a dangerous condition in which the sufferer is at risk of physical disability and a severely impaired quality of life.
An Overview Of Statistics On Obesity
- 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
- Eight out of 10 over 25’s Overweight
- 78% of American’s not meeting basic activity level recommendations
- 25% completely Sedentary
- 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990
- 80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
- 70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
- 42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
- 30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
- 26% of obese people having high blood pressure
Who Is at Risk for Becoming Obese?
The number of people who are obese is rising. About 1.2 billion people in the world are overweight and at least 300 million of them are obese, even though obesity is one of the 10 most preventable health risks, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, more than 97 million adults – that’s more than half – are overweight and almost one in five adults is obese. Among teenagers and kids 6 years and older, more than 15% are overweight – that’s more than three times the number of young people who were overweight in the 1970s. At least 300,000 deaths every year in the United States can be linked to obesity.
In the United States, women are slightly more at risk for becoming obese than men. Race and ethnicity also can be factors – in adolescents, obesity is more common among Mexican Americans and African Americans.
Symptoms
- Unflattering appearance
- Finding that your clothes are too tight
- Discomfort in the abdomen
- Shortness of brteath
- Aching legs and swollen ankles
Complications
By making people more susceptible to cerain disorders, such as diabetes, hypertension and arthritis of the legs, obesity shortens life expectancy. Obesity may also make complications after surgical operations more likely. Difficulties with preganancy, such as varicose veins, and low back pain. Obesity also worsens the symptoms of many other diseases, such as angina, heart failure, anaemia and arthritis.
Treatment
Try to lose weight by dieting and exericise. Diets succeed only if the amount of calories consumed is less than the amount of calories used up by exercise and daily routine. You may also want to keep a food and activity journal. Keep track of what you eat, when you exercise, and how you feel. Keep a record of everything that you eat and drink each day. This will help you to pinpoint any overeating. In addition, eat slowly. Eating slowly will help you to eat lesser. Changes can take time, but seeing your progress in writing will help you stick to your plan. You might also want to consider attending a support group; check your local hospital or the health section of a newspaper for groups that meet near you. Above all, surround yourself with friends and family who will be there for you.
If obesity is making you shortness of breath, causing any of the above symptoms or interfering with normal activities in any way, then you should consult a doctor. The doctor will check your weight and advise you on some weight-reduction programmes which might help. You must have strong motivation to lose weight. The doctor would tell you what to do and only you can do it. Only you can help yourself.
Prevention
The only way to prevent obesity is not to eat too much and to watch your waistline. If you are on a strict diet, cut down on carbohydrates, such as oily food, fried food, cakes and so on. Do not cheat. Increase proteins intake like fruits and vegetables. And take more exercise.
It is very easy to eat too much and to exercise too little, causing you to gain excess weight gradually over the years. Your body weight will only remain stable if the energy content of the food you eat is in balance with the energy needs of your body. If you take in more calories than you need, or if you start doing less exercise, you will gain weight. To maintain a healthy weight, you must learn to eat and exercise wisely. However, if you are overweight now, it is never too late to start losing weight. With good motivation and help from friends and relations, weight reduction can be achieved and maintained too.
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