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Obesity is a complicated condition characterized by an excess of body fat. Obesity is more than simply an aesthetic issue. It is a medical condition that raises the risk of developing other diseases and health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some malignancies.
Some people struggle to lose weight for a variety of reasons. Obesity is typically caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, and environmental variables, as well as dietary, physical activity, and exercise decisions.
The good news is that even minor weight loss can help or avoid obesity-related health concerns. Losing weight can be aided by a healthier diet, more physical activity, and behavioral changes. Prescription drugs and weight-loss surgeries are also treatment options for obesity.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF OBESITY?
Obesity develops when you consume more calories than you burn via typical everyday activity and exercise, despite genetic, behavioral, metabolic, and hormonal variables. These extra calories are stored as fat by your body.
Most people's diets in the United States are too high in calories, thanks to fast food and high-calorie beverages. Obese people may eat more calories before feeling full, feel hungry sooner, or eat more as a result of stress or anxiety.
Many people in Western countries today have jobs that are far less physically demanding, therefore they don't burn as many calories as they used to. Even everyday tasks require less calories, thanks to conveniences like remote controls, elevators, internet shopping, and drive-through banks.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS OF OBESITY?
Obesity is frequently the consequence of a combination of causes and contributing factors, such as:
Influences and inheritance from family
The genes you inherit from your parents may influence how much body fat you store and where it is distributed. Genetics may also influence how efficiently your body transforms food into energy, how your body regulates your hunger, and how efficiently your body burns calories during exercise.
Obesity is a trait that runs through families. This isn't only because they share genes. Family members also have similar food and physical activity patterns.
Lifestyle choices
Unhealthy eating habits: A diet heavy in calories, low in fruits and vegetables, high in fast food, and high in high-calorie beverages and enormous portions contributes to weight gain.
Calories in liquid form: People can consume a lot of calories without feeling full, especially if those calories come from alcohol. Other high-calorie beverages, such as sugared soft drinks, can also contribute to weight gain.
Inactivity: If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you might easily consume more calories than you burn through exercise and daily activities. Sedentary activities include staring at computer, tablet, and phone screens. The amount of time spent in front of a screen is strongly linked to weight gain.
Age
Obesity can strike at any age, including children. However, as you get older, hormonal changes and a less active lifestyle raise your chances of being obese. Furthermore, the amount of muscle in your body tends to diminish as you get older. Lower muscle mass, in general, leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie requirements and might make it more difficult to lose extra weight. You will most likely acquire weight as you age if you do not carefully limit what you eat and become more physically active.
Economic and social issues
Obesity is linked to social and economic variables. Obesity is tough to avoid if you don't have safe places to stroll or exercise. Similarly, you could not have been taught good cooking techniques, or you might not have access to better ingredients. Furthermore, the individuals you spend time with may influence your weight - if you have obese friends or family, you are more likely to develop obesity.
Other factors
- Pregnancy: It is normal to gain weight throughout pregnancy. Some women find it difficult to remove this weight once the baby is born. This weight increase in women may lead to the development of obesity.
- Smoking cessation: Quitting smoking is frequently related with weight gain. And for some, it can result in enough weight gain to be classified as obesity. This frequently occurs when people use food to cope with the effects of smoking cessation. However, in the long run, stopping smoking is still a better option for your health than continuing to smoke. Your doctor can assist you in avoiding weight gain after stopping smoking.
- Sleep deprivation: Getting too little or too much sleep might trigger hormonal changes that increase appetite. You may also seek high-calorie and high-carbohydrate foods, which can contribute to weight gain.
- Stress: A variety of external factors that influence mood and well-being may play a role in obesity. When people are stressed, they tend to crave more high-calorie foods.
- Microbiome: What you consume affects your gut bacteria, which may lead to weight gain or difficulties decreasing weight.
Even if you have one or more of these risk factors, you are not doomed to develop obesity. Most risk factors can be mitigated through diet, physical activity and exercise, and behavioral modifications.
WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS OF OBESITY?
Complications
Obese people are more likely to acquire a variety of potentially serious health issues, including:
- Stroke and heart disease: Obesity increases your chances of having high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels, both of which are risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
- Diabetes type 2: Obesity can have an impact on how the body uses insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. This increases the likelihood of insulin resistance and diabetes.
- Certain types of cancer: Obesity may raise the risk of uterine, cervix, endometrial, ovarian, breast, colon, rectum, esophageal, liver, gallbladder, pancreatic, kidney, and prostate cancer.
- Digestive issues: Obesity raises the risk of heartburn, gallbladder disease, and liver difficulties.
- Sleep apnea: Obese people are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, a potentially fatal illness in which breathing regularly stops and resumes during sleep.
- Osteoarthritis: Obesity increases the stress on weight-bearing joints while also causing inflammation in the body. These variables can result in consequences like osteoarthritis.
- COVID-19 symptoms that are severe: Obesity increases the likelihood of experiencing severe symptoms if infected with the virus that causes coronavirus illness 2019. (COVID-19). Severe cases of COVID-19 may necessitate treatment in intensive care facilities or perhaps mechanical ventilation.
HOW IS OBESITY DIAGNOSED?
Your doctor will usually perform a physical exam and propose some tests to identify obesity.
These exams and tests typically involve the following:
- Taking a medical history: Your weight history, weight-loss efforts, physical activity and exercise habits, eating patterns and appetite management, other conditions you've had, medications, stress levels, and other health issues may be reviewed by your doctor. Your doctor may also examine your family's medical history to see if you are predisposed to specific diseases.
- A general physical examination: This includes measuring your height, checking vital signs including heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature, listening to your heart and lungs, and inspecting your abdomen.
- Calculating your BMI: Your doctor will calculate your BMI. Obesity is considered as a BMI of 30 or greater. Numbers more than 30 raise health dangers much further. Your BMI should be examined at least once a year because it can help identify your overall health risks and relevant treatments.
- Waist circumference measurement: Fat accumulated around the waist, also known as visceral fat or abdominal fat, may raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Women with waist circumferences greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters) and males with circumferences greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters) may face greater health risks than persons with smaller waist circumferences. Waist circumference, like BMI, should be measured at least once a year.
- Checking for other health issues: If you have any known health issues, your doctor will assess them. Your doctor will also look for other potential health issues, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, an underactive thyroid, liver issues, and diabetes.
Gathering this information will assist you and your doctor in determining the best course of treatment for you.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR OBESITY?
Obesity treatment aims to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. This improves general health and minimizes the likelihood of acquiring obesity-related problems.
To understand and improve your food and activity patterns, you may need to engage with a team of health professionals, including a nutritionist, behavioral counselor, or obesity specialist.
The initial treatment aim is usually a small weight loss - 5% to 10% of your overall weight. That indicates that if you weigh 200 pounds (91 kilograms), you'd just need to shed 10 to 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kilograms) to see an improvement in your health. However, the higher the weight loss, the bigger the benefits.
All weight-loss plans necessitate dietary adjustments as well as increased physical activity. The treatment techniques that are best for you are determined by the degree of your obesity, your overall health, and your willingness to participate in your weight-loss strategy.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS
Obesity can be overcome by reducing calories and adopting healthier eating habits. Although you may lose weight quickly at initially, long-term weight loss is regarded the safest approach to lose weight and the greatest way to keep it off permanently.
There is no such thing as the best weight-loss diet. Choose one that incorporates healthful foods that you believe will be beneficial to you. Obesity-treating dietary changes include:
- Calorie reduction: The key to losing weight is to reduce the number of calories you consume. The first step is to examine your typical eating and drinking habits to determine how many calories you consume on a daily basis and where you can cut back. You and your doctor can decide how many calories you need to consume every day to lose weight, but a normal quantity for women is 1,200 to 1,500 calories and 1,500 to 1,800 calories for men.
- Making healthier choices: Eat more plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, to improve the overall health of your diet. In addition, lean protein sources such as beans, lentils, and soy, as well as lean meats, should be prioritized. If you enjoy fish, try to eat it twice a week. Limit your intake of salt and sugar. Consume a small amount of fat, but make sure it comes from heart-healthy sources like olive, canola, and nut oils.
- Feeling full on fewer calories: Desserts, candies, fats, and processed meals, for example, contain a lot of calories in a tiny piece. Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, provide a greater portion size with less calories. By eating larger quantities of lower-calorie items, you lessen hunger pangs, consume fewer calories, and feel better about your meal, all of which contribute to how pleased you feel overall.
- Meal replacements: These plans recommend replacing one or two meals with their goods, such as low-calorie shakes or meal bars, and eating nutritious snacks as well as a healthy, balanced third meal that is low in fat and calories. This type of diet can help you lose weight in the short term. However, these diets are unlikely to teach you how to improve your general lifestyle. So, if you want to lose weight, you may need to stick to your diet.
- Restriction of certain foods: Some diets restrict the amount of a certain food group, such as high-carbohydrate or high-fat foods. Inquire with your doctor about which diet regimens are efficient and which may be beneficial to you. Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages will almost certainly cause you to ingest more calories than you anticipated. Limiting or eliminating these drinks is a smart place to start when it comes to calorie reduction.
Similarly, while on a crash diet, you may lose weight, but you will most likely gain it back when you stop. To lose weight, and keep it off, you must develop and stick to healthy eating habits.
Medications for weight loss
Weight-loss drugs should be taken in conjunction with diet, exercise, and behavioral modifications, not in place of them. Your doctor will evaluate your medical history as well as potential side effects before prescribing a medicine for you.
The following are the most commonly used drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of obesity:
- Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave)
- Liraglutide (Saxenda)
- Orlistat (Alli, Xenical)
- Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia)
Weight-loss drugs may not be effective for everyone, and their benefits may fade with time. When you discontinue taking a weight-loss drug, you may regain some or all of the weight you lost.
Endoscopic weight loss procedures
These procedures do not necessitate any skin incisions. After you have been sedated, flexible tubes and tools are placed through your mouth and down your throat into your stomach. Typical procedures include:
- Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty: This technique involves stitching the stomach to limit the amount of food and drink that may be held at one time. Eating and drinking less over time helps the average person lose weight.
- Intragastric balloon for weight loss: A small balloon is inserted into the stomach during this procedure. The balloon is then filled with water, which reduces the amount of space in the stomach, allowing you to feel full while eating less food.
Surgery for weight loss
Weight-loss surgery, often known as bariatric surgery, restricts the amount of food you can eat comfortably or reduces the absorption of food and calories. This, however, might lead to dietary and vitamin shortages.
Common weight-loss operations include:
- Adjustable gastric banding: An inflatable band divides the stomach into two pockets during this surgery. The surgeon tightens the band like a belt to form a narrow channel between the two pouches. The band prevents the opening from spreading and is normally intended to remain in place indefinitely.
- Gastric bypass surgery: The surgeon forms a tiny pouch at the top of the stomach during gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y). The small intestine is then linked to the new pouch after being sliced a little distance below the main stomach. Food and fluids enter this section of the intestine directly from the pouch, skipping the majority of the stomach.
- Gastric sleeve: In this treatment, a portion of the stomach is eliminated, resulting in a smaller food reservoir. It is a less invasive procedure than gastric bypass.
Weight loss success following surgery is dependent on your willingness to make long-term changes in your food and activity habits.
Other treatments
Other obesity treatments include:
- Hydrogels: These edible capsules, which are available by prescription, contain small particles that absorb water and enlarge in the stomach to make you feel full. The pills are consumed before meals and travel through the intestines as stool.
- Vagal nerve blockade: This entails implanting a device beneath the skin of the abdomen that sends periodic electrical pulses to the abdominal vagus nerve, which signals the brain whether the stomach is empty or full.
- Gastric aspirate: A tube is inserted through the abdomen into the stomach during this surgery. After each meal, a percentage of the stomach contents is emptied.
Home remedies and lifestyle
Your efforts to overcome obesity are more likely to be effective if you combine home-based tactics with your formal treatment plan. These are some examples:
Learning about your condition: Obesity education can help you learn more about why you become obese and what you can do about it. You may feel more empowered to take charge and follow through on your treatment strategy. Read credible self-help books and discuss them with your doctor or therapist.
Setting realistic goals: When you need to lose a lot of weight, you may create unrealistic goals, such as trying to drop too much too quickly. Don't put yourself in a position to fail. Set daily or weekly fitness and weight loss goals. Make gradual improvements to your diet rather than making huge changes that you are unlikely to stick with in the long run.
Sticking to your treatment plan: It can be difficult to change a lifestyle that you have lived with for many years. If you notice that your exercise or dietary objectives are sliding, be honest with your doctor, therapist, or other health care specialists. You can collaborate to generate new ideas or techniques.
Obtaining support: Enlist the help of your family and friends to help you achieve your weight-loss goals. Surround yourself with people who will support and assist you rather than undermine your efforts. Make sure they realize the significance of weight loss to your health. You should also consider joining a weight-loss support group.
Maintaining a record: Keep a food and activity log. This diary might help you keep track of your eating and activity habits. You can learn about the behaviors that may be stifling your progress and, conversely, what works effectively for you. You can also use your journal to keep track of other vital health metrics such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and overall fitness.
CONCLUSION
Obesity affects practically every organ and system in the body. Many of these risk factors can be treated or managed if you have obesity through a mix of diet, exercise, and lifestyle modifications.
Losing just 5 to 10% of your current weight can lower your chances of getting certain health problems. Consult your doctor about decreasing weight and living a healthier lifestyle.