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 obesity
In 2024 more than one billion individuals exist with obesity while adults among these total 880 million and children aged 159 million from 5 to 19 years.
The numbers of obese individuals in the population have risen significantly since 1975 to transform obesity into an urgent contemporary public health problem.
Approximately 49% of United States adults suffered from obesity during 2023 while 23 states showed obesity prevalence exceeding 35%.
Tonga and Nauru and Tuvalu show extremely high obesity rates because more than sixty percent of their adult population meets the obesity criteria.
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. For better mental health you can read Meditation by Mahasi Sayadaw and its global evolution.
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 health-economic-impact-of-obesity
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.). For knowing about the vegetables, good for weight management you can read Best Green Leafy Vegetables for Weight Loss. 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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Recent Developments in Obesity Management
The treatment of obesity has progressed notably through recent years especially by developing fresh therapeutic methods and medications. The medication developments target obesity on a global scale with enhanced effectivity in mind.
New Medications
Many new medication groups have appeared as potentially effective treatments for obesity.
- The weight management medication Semaglutide functions to mimic nerve signals which control hunger levels. Successful test studies demonstrated a notable reduction in weight while type 2 diabetes treatment benefits from its use.
- The medication Retatrutide operates as a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist through targeting two important hormones controlling glucose metabolism and appetite response. Clinical research points toward significant effectiveness of this drug to lose weight.
- Several drug companies evaluate Orforglipron as a selective glucagon receptor antagonist that proves effective in body weight reduction through glucagon control of glucose metabolism.
- The pharmaceutical industry introduces Amycretin as a contemporary drug which operates through distinct mechanisms in obesity management.
Technological Advancements
The management of obesity receives crucial support from technological developments as well as prescription medications.
Digital Health Platforms through apps and online platforms make it possible for users to follow customized diet plans and exercise regimens and track their ongoing progress while keeping themselves motivated.
Wearable Devices such as smartwatches together with fitness trackers can track both physical movement along with rest patterns for healthcare users who want to select better lifestyle decisions.
Population access to remote healthcare services through telehealth has become possible which enables people to seek obesity management help from medical professionals across all regions.
Surgical Interventions
Modern bariatric surgery procedures have improved both effectiveness and minimally invasive surgical capabilities.
This technology provides robotic-assisted surgery which improves surgery accuracy together with acceleration of patient recovery.
Research teams develop endoscopic procedures which minimize the requirement of open surgery for medical purposes.
Policy and Public Health Initiatives
Governments together with health organizations establish obesity combat policies to create effective solutions against this problem.
Governments around the world have established sugar drinks and unhealthy food tax policies to make such products less accessible to consumers.
Public health organizations through nation-wide nutrition education campaigns run both awareness sessions for adults and physical activity education programs for school children.
Cities currently receive planning efforts to construct additional green areas and pedestrian infrastructure which promotes physical exercise.
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.
