Obesity

 Discover how obesity affects your health and daily life, and how to prevent it.

Overview:

1. What is obesity
2. Stage of obesity
3. Symptoms
4. Causes
5. Complications
6. Treatment
7. Prevention & Control

 

What Are Overweight and Obesity?

Obesity and overweight refer to excessive and abnormal accumulations of fat within the body that cause weight to exceed the normal rate. By measuring body mass index ( BMI ), we can determine a person's weight classification.

How to calculate BMI?

A person's body index (BMI) (weight in kilograms divided by height in square meters) can be used to diagnose the stages of obesity.

BMI	Considered
Below 18	Underweight
18.5 to 24.5	Healthy weight
25.0 to 29.9	Overweight
30 or 34.9	Class 1 Obesity
35-39.9	Class 2 Obesity
40 or higher	Class 3 Obesity

 Symptoms Of Obesity:

Among the symptoms that appear on an obese patient:

• Breathing difficulties.
• Excessive sweating.
• Difficulty moving and not being able to perform his daily activities normally.
• Pain in the joints and knees.
• Snoring.
• Extreme fatigue.

Causes Of Obesity:

Obesity occurs as a result of a person consuming more calories than the body needs per day, which exceeds the body's ability to burn them easily and leads to their accumulation in the form of body fat, and weight gain is not only limited to the calories we consume.

Factors that lead to obesity:

1.  Overeating

Eating in excessive amounts for the needs of the body, excessive eating of processed foods and fast food full of saturated fats, as well as eating sugars and sweets, and consuming starches in excess and soft drinks are among the most important factors that increase a person’s obesity.

2. lack of physical activity

Laziness and lethargy are among the most important causes of obesity, as having a daily routine devoid of movement and exercise, reduces the rate of fat burning in the body and affects the digestive system.

3. Genetic factors

A person may become obese due to hereditary genes if someone in the family suffers from obesity, as it affects the hormones responsible for storing and distributing fat and converting it into energy.

4. Sleep disturbances

Lack of sleep and not getting enough hours of rest is a catalyst for stimulating the secretion of the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for hunger and increases appetite.

5. Medications:

There are some medications that lead to weight gain, such as:

• Antidepressants: Overeating, lethargy, and lack of physical activity are all side effects of antidepressants that cause weight gain.

• Epilepsy drugs: Medications to treat seizures affect the metabolism, which leads to the conversion of excess calories into fat that is stored in the body.

• Hormonal contraceptives: It leads to weight gain because it contains estrogen and progesterone, which retain water and salts in the body.

• Antihistamines: Histamines ( Anti-allergy drugs) cause an increase in appetite.

• Corticosteroids (e.g cortisone)

• Insulin

6. Diseases:

Some people may suffer from diseases that cause weight gain:

• Hypothyroidism
• Type 2 diabetes
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Depression
• Cushing's syndrome

Obesity Complications:

Obesity leads to an increase in the incidence of chronic and serious diseases, including:

• Diabetes
• Breathing disorders
• High cholesterol
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Bone and joint diseases (Osteoarthritis)
• Cancer
• Anxiety & Depression
• Gout
• Heart disease

Obesity Treatment:

Treatment of obesity includes several methods:

• Daily Exercise
• Follow a healthy balanced diet rich in fiber such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, eat proteins and foods rich in unsaturated fats (healthy fats), avoid eating sugars and carbohydrates, and drink water regularly.
• Weight loss medications:
• With a healthy diet and regular exercise, some prescription medications can also be used to help stimulate weight loss, including:

- Xenical (orlistat)
              - Injectable drugs such as Saxenda (liraglutide), the first approved injectable drug in Kuwait.
              - Natural Medicines (Herbs) for Weight Loss Lipoless, Alfa Vitamin Max Slim Fort.

• Surgical operations: such as sleeve gastrectomy or ligation and cutting of the stomach.
• intermittent fasting.

Obesity Prevention & Control:

Obesity can be prevented by changing your lifestyle and adopting healthy habits:

• Eat meals at intervals.
• Eat healthy foods that contain protein and foods rich in fiber.
• Drinking water
• Doing exercise.
• Take enough sleep and rest.

Obesity prevents you from practicing your life normally, and it’s life-threatening, so do not allow yourself to be obese and seek for help.