Obesity- How It Takes A Toll On You

What Is Obesity?

Obesity is a disease which involves excess body fat. If you have excess body fat, it may increase the risk of health issues. Obesity often results from taking in more calories than you burn by exercise and normal daily activities. You know there’s an obesity problem if your BMI is 25 or greater. In adults, obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30.0. Now let’s not panic just yet, let’s read ahead what obesity is and what causes it. 

Causes Of Obesity

Eating more calories than you burn in daily activity and exercise, on a long-term basis, can lead to obesity. Over time, these extra calories add up and cause weight gain. But it might not be just that, while that is one of the main reasons, there are some reasons that you just can’t control. 

• Genetics– this can affect how your body processes food into energy and how fat is stored.
• Age– getting older can lead to less muscle mass and a slower metabolic rate, making it easier to gain weight.
• Sleeping Less- this can lead to hormonal changes that make you feel hungrier and crave certain high-calorie foods.
• Pregnancy– as weight gained during pregnancy may be difficult to lose and might eventually lead to obesity.

Lifestyle Choices Which Lead To Obesity

• Unhealthy diet– A diet that’s high in calories, lacking in fruits and vegetables, full of fast food, and laden with high-calorie beverages and oversized portions contributes to weight gain.
• Liquid calories – People can drink many calories without feeling full, especially calories from alcohol. Other high-calorie beverages, such as sugary soft drinks, can contribute to significant weight gain.
• Inactivity– If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you can easily take in more calories every day than you burn through exercise and routine daily activities. Looking at a computer, tablet and phone screens is a sedentary activity. The number of hours you spend in front of a screen is highly associated with weight gain.

Complications:

Having more than required body fat to muscle puts strain on your bones as well as your internal organs. It also increases inflammation in the body. Obesity has been linked to a number of health complications, some of which can be life threatening if not treated:

• type 2 diabetes
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• certain cancers (breast, colon, and endometrial)
• strokes
• gallbladder disease
• fatty liver disease
• high cholesterol
• sleep apnea and other breathing problems
• arthritis
• infertility

How Can It Be Treated?

Any treatment first requires getting some help. Whether it’s from someone at home or an expert. Losing weight can be attempted on your own first by fixing a good routine and a good diet plan. If that does not work out for you then you can get some medical help. 

How Can You Prevent It?

There’s been a dramatic increase in obesity and in obesity-related diseases in the last couple decades. That is why there is a great emphasis on healthier food choices and activities to help turn the tide on obesity. On a personal level, you can help prevent weight gain and obesity by making healthier lifestyle choices like the following: 

• Exercise like walking, swimming, or biking for 20 to 30 minutes every day.
• Eat well by choosing nutritious foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
• Eat high-fat, high-calorie foods in moderation.

Facts You Might Not Know:

• Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
• In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese.
• Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
• 38 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2019.
• Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.

Wrapping Up

From all of this, what we can get is that we need to look after ourselves and the food we eat. Also make better lifestyle choices.

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