Obesity:Causes,Effects And Treatment
Obesity is the state of being critically flabby and heavy to a level that is hazardous for our normal health. It is having extra body fat which can be measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI) (height and weight). If you are among those who carry extra fat around the waist and abdomen, then you are likely to be the victim of Type II diabetes and heart diseases.
According to an expert, carbohydrates and proteins are converted to fuel as soon as they are consumed. Most of the fat calories are immediately stored in fat cells which add to the body weight.We use energy all the time, no matter what we are doing. A unit of energy - which is used as a measurement for the amount of energy food provides - is known as calorie. Every food and drink has calories but greasy and sugary foods have high calorific values.Unused calories are stored in our body as fats. The fat droplets accumulate in fat cells beneath the skin, around the kidneys and liver. These fat cells are formed in human body at childhood stage. At this stage, additional calories form new fat cells (hyperplasic obesity). During adulthood, the fat cells do not increase in numbers; instead they expand and reduce in size depending on how much calories are consumed (hypo tropic obesity). It is this reason that childhood obesity is difficult to treat and chances are that an obese child will be an obese adult with serious health problems.
Cause and effect
Obesity is directly proportional toyour lifestyle. It is considered as a modern social ill. There are many factors responsible for this which include increased use of high fatty snakes and over-eating. Then there are sedentary habits, which include spending more than two hours on TV. Although technology has made our lives easy but it has brought about physical inactivity which is directly linked with obesity.
People become obese when the calorie intake is more than its utilisation, which means that we gain weight when we eat more and do less work. It is a well-known fact that calories are burnt and energy is released by engaging oneself in physical activity. Another factor is unawareness and being ignorant of the food's nutritional values and fat contents. You should be in the habit of craving for knowledge of what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat.Genetic disordersGenes have strong effects on the child's ability to gain weight. Genes relate to weight, appetite and hunger which shifts from one generation to another.Medical disordersObesity also occurs because of various medical disorders, some of which inlude:Hypothyroidism: Changes in hormone causes obesity, for example, when the thyroid glands are unable to make sufficient thyroid hormones, the the rate of metabolism then slows down and results in an increase of weight.Cushing's Syndrome: When the adrenal glands produce a high amount of the hormone cortisol which increase fat on the upper body, such as the face and around the neck.Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: The production of a high level of the hormone androgens is a common cause of obesity in women.Lack of sleep: During sleep, insulin regulates the blood sugar levels. Those who sleep less tend to eat foods having high calorific value, therefore in many cases, the insulin level reaches to a level which promote diabetes.Use of medicines: It has been noted that many people become obese after using certain medicines. These medicines slow down the rate of calorie burn and increase hunger.
Treatment
Those who perform physical activities, such as household work, climbing stairs, walking and jogging along with a well-balanced diet are healthy and have great resistance power. Proper exercises help to prevent many health-related problems but they should be performed under doctor's advice.
Nutritionists confirm that to avoid obesity, people should increase vegetables and fruits in their diet and must get rid of foods that are high in fat and sugar. It is observed that the lust for chocolates, burgers and other fatty foods reaches a dangerous level during the state of anxiety, frustration and tediousness. Therefore, to avoid emotional distress, positive activities and advice from psychologists is the answer to the question.
If you are obese, then discussion with people having similar problems make it easier to follow the weight loss programme. For an obese child, exercise and guidance from a dietician is necessary. It should be remembered that without any dietician's recommendation, forcing a child for a low-calorie diet could be fatal. According to a survey report, children and teenagers are born with a sweeth tooth, so to speak. Therefore, parents play a pivotal role to convince a child to eat other things besides those in high in sugar. Of course, children adopt behavioural patterns from parents.
The process of losing weight is long-term which needs patience, persistence and complete attention. Many scientists consider obesity not just a social problem but they also take it as a medicinal problem and emphasis to control it via medical treatment. Since, Leptin is an appetite-controlling hormone, thus efforts are being made to include it in baby food supplements for lasting prevention of excess weight gain problems.
