Obesity is one of the most alarming health issues of today, which can cause severe health issues. These health problems include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, abnormal blood pressure, joint pains, and some specific cancer types. Obesity continues to increase day by day globally, and it is the right time to take some measures against overweight. We need to develop some effective preventions to control obesity; otherwise, we will face more health problems.
Understanding obesity
What is obesity?
Obesity is excessive body fat present in the body that causes many health issues.
Who is obese?
A person is obese if he/she has excessive fat in his/her body that causes severe health problems.
How do you know if you are obese or overweight?
The BMI scale can be used to calculate obesity. Persons having a BMI of 30 or above are considered obese, while those having a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. A healthy body weight means that the BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. BMI determines the risk of health problems caused by bulkiness in the body. You can calculate BMI value from Adult BMI Calculator.
What is BMI?
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to calculate the obesity by dividing a person’s weight by the square of their height. Weight and height are measured in kilograms and meters (in SI units), respectively.
Types of body fat:
There are many types of body fat, but the most important are discussed here:
Subcutaneous fat:
Subcutaneous fat is a white fat present just under the skin that is pinch able. Considerable amounts of this fat are healthy as it protects your body and insulates it, but too much fat can cause health problems. This fat causes the loose skin, and for tight skin, you need to reduce subcutaneous fat. The affected area of skin is thicker than normal skin.
Visceral fat:
Visceral fat is a white fat present in the abdomen that is also called belly fat. Obesity due to visceral fat is abdominal obesity. In this type, your internal organs are covered in fat, which is a risk factor for severe diseases. To reduce such fat, you need to read The 8 best cardiovascular exercises.
Brown fat:
Brown fats are brown adipose tissues used to generate heat to regulate the body’s temperature and sugar level. Brown fat is present in us from birth, but it diminishes with time. We have them around our necks, chests, hearts, etc. These fat cells generate heat when we feel cold. Fish, avocado, yogurt, eggs, and other foods contain brown fat. Brown fat can naturally develop when you expose your body to cold.
Beige fat:
By exercising, your white fat (subcutaneous and visceral fat) is converted into metabolically active fat, which is called Beige fat.
Function of the Body’s Fat
In the body, fat stores energy, utilizes energy to regulate temperature, and helps build new cells, but extra fat has negative health effects. Our visceral fat causes more adverse diseases than any other fat.
Occurrence of overweight and obesity
In the last few decades, the obesity rate has increased so fast throughout the world, which is considered alarming. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, 43% of adults were overweight, while 16% were obese.
Childhood obesity
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, around 22 million children under 5 were overweight. In the same year, 390 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 were considered overweight, and 160 million were obese. For more information, please visit obesity and overweight.
Obesity is bad for your health. (Health Problems)
Why is obesity bad for health? Obesity linked with many severe diseases; some of them are discussed here.
Cardiovascular problems
One of the major health issues due to obesity is cardiovascular disease.
High Blood Pressure:
Obese people face high blood pressure because their bodies need more oxygen than normal people. Due to high blood pressure, your heart works more, and you face severe cardiovascular issues. This overworking of the heart also leads to changes in blood vessels, which also contribute to abnormal blood pressure.
Inflammation:
Excessive visceral fat causes inflammation. Inflammation damages the blood vessels, which is not healthy for the heart.
Type 2 diabetes
Obesity is one of the major causes of type 2 diabetes. Obese people are more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is created due to obesity and is the main reason for this problem. Insulin resistance increases the blood sugar level, which can cause kidney problems, cardiovascular problems, etc.
Cancer
Obese people have a higher risk of certain cancers. These cancers include endometrial, breast, thyroid, colorectal cancer, etc.
- Endometrial cancer: Obesity is one of the major causes of endometrial cancer in women. It is the abnormal growth of cells in the inner lining of the uterus and is linked with hormonal imbalance due to excessive fat.
- Breast Cancer: Breast cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the breast. The main cause of such cancer is obesity, as fat produces more estrogen, which is important for the growth of abnormal cells. Postmenopausal women have more chances of getting it because excessive estrogen is available at this age.
- Thyroid Cancer: Obesity leads to hormonal changes and insulin resistance, leading to thyroid cancer. Fat cells cause higher levels of estrogen and insulin, which help the mutation.
- Colorectal cancer: This type of cancer affects the colon or rectum. Obesity increases the risk of colorectal cancer through hormonal changes, inflammation, and unhealthy food, which affects the gut.
Sleep Apnea
People with obesity have more chances of sleep apnea, in which a person experiences difficulty breathing. The result is poor sleep, fatigue, cardiovascular problems, and hormonal changes.
Fatty liver diseases:
Obesity contributes to fatty liver diseases. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) caused by obesity is more dangerous than alcoholic liver disease. When lever cells have excessive fat, their functions can be affected, and when they are inflamed, they can also cause damage to the lever’s cells. It is believed that excessive cells release imbalanced adipokine hormones that promote liver fat accumulation.
Other health issues
Obesity is also the cause for other serious health issues, including:
- Osteoarthritis: Excessive fat can lead to osteoarthritis by causing joint pains mostly in the knees and hips. Your mobility and other daily activities are also affected by such joint pains.
- Problems with the reproductive system:
- As a result of obesity, men and women face serious reproductive health problems like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and infertility.
- Bad Mental Health: Obese people face discrimination from society, which can lead to mental issues like anxiety, fear, and depression.
Bad impact of obesity on the economy:
1. Healthcare cost:
In 2016, obesity in adults cost healthcare about 260.6 billion dollars. Severe diseases (heart attack, tumors, diabetes, and others) due to obesity require more medical care. For more detail you may visit Direct medical costs of obesity in the United States and the most populous states.
2. Lost productivity:
Obese people mostly face health problems like joint pains and inflammation, which affect their daily activities badly. Their body is not functioning well at the workplace, due to which productivity declines. Such a decline in productivity affects the economy as a whole.
3. Effects on society:
Higher obesity rates affect the healthcare system and food supply chain. Due to obesity, more health care centers are required, which strains the healthcare system. Normal people also face difficulty getting an appointment from the doctor. The food chain is also disrupted, resulting in an imbalance in the availability of healthy foods. Whole society is affected by chubbiness.
What is the best way to prevent and control obesity?
Preventive actions and controls are discussed here.
1. Promote healthy eating:
To fight against obesity, we need to provide nutritional education to people in society. We need to develop the awareness programs to highlight the importance of a nutritious diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good fats, etc.). We have to make healthy food accessible to everyone. If healthy food is not readily available, awareness programs do nothing. Prepare the next generation for healthy eating habits by developing nutritious cafeterias in schools and colleges, cooking and nutritional classes.
2. Promote exercise:
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends adults exercise 150 minutes per week. So encourage sports and outdoor activities to meet these goals. The government should build parks for outdoor activities. Fitness challenges and walking meetings should also be promoted by employers.
3. Resolve the psychological issues:
Due to the psychological problems caused by obesity, we need to develop counseling groups and support programs for obese people. Arrange meditation programs for developing self-acceptance and self-love. Meditation improves mental health. Visit this topic to learn How to love yourself? 5 steps to create self-love.
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4. Policy changes:
Some countries apply extra taxes on unhealthy foods to control consumption. Such taxes reduce the consumption of unhealthy food and generate revenue for a better health care system. Governments should control unhealthy food advertisements to make society healthier. Governments should reduce taxes on businesses that offer healthy food and fitness programs.
Conclusion:
Globally, obesity is one of the leading causes of many diseases, such as heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, bad mental health, and some specific types of cancers. Among children, adolescents, and adults, obesity is growing rapidly, which requires some action. We need to promote nutritional education, healthy eating habits, physical activities, and counseling programs for better mental and physical health. Governments need to implement higher taxes on unhealthy foods and regulate their advertisement, especially for children. Such revenue will reduce the health care system’s economic burden. The government should ensure the availability of healthy food and also maintain parks in every area for sports and outdoor activities.
