Obesity| What You Need to Know Today
If you want to know more about obesity so that you can counter it effectively then you’re at the right place. It is one of the major causes of death. It can cause other diseases such as heart disorders, cancer, and stroke, etc. Obesity is a growing problem nowadays. In the United States, 31% of the adult population is considered to be obese. In this article, we’re going to discuss what obesity is, its causes symptoms, preventive measures, and treatment.
What is obesity?
Obesity is a condition that involves an excessive amount of body fat. An obese person is at a risk of more health problems such as heart disorders, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer. How can you tell if a person is obese or not? Well, it is measured by BMI (body mass index). It is the mass of the body divided by the square of its height. A person having a BMI of 30 or more is considered to be obese.
Well, BMI doesn’t distinguish between the weight of bones, muscle mass, and fat. But it is overall used for the measurement of obesity in a person. In Egypt, there were about 188 deaths per 100000 population due to obesity.
Causes
· Obesity is generally caused by having a higher calorie intake compared to calorie consumption.
· Sedentary behavior or inactivity
· Genetics
· Cushing syndrome: It is caused by having high cortisol levels in the body
· Hyperthyroidism: A condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce the required amount of hormones
· Osteoarthritis: Pain causes inactivity
· Polycystic ovary syndrome: It is a condition of hormonal imbalance in females
· Pregnancy: Weight loss during pregnancy is difficult
· Not sleeping enough
· Growing older leads to less muscle mass and a slower rate of metabolism
Symptoms
There are no other symptoms except for being overweight
Preventive measures
· Exercise regularly
· Maintain a healthy diet
· Monitor your weight regularly
Diagnosis
For the diagnosis of obesity, other tests except BMI are used these are following
Skinfold thickness test
Waist to hip comparisons
Screening tests such as MRI’s and CT scans
Treatment
If you’re unable to lose weight then your physician might even prescribe you some medicine. You’re even recommended to therapists and a dietician. In some cases, surgery is also recommended.
Conclusion
Obesity is a major problem and should be treated accordingly. Go see your physician if you’re unable to lose weight on your own. We hope that we’re able to add to your knowledge on obesity and help you.
