According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 42 percent of American adults are considered obese. “Obesity is a serious chronic disease and the prevalence of obesity continues to increase in the US,” they explain. In fact, they even use the word “epidemic” to describe the condition that is the most preventable cause of death in the country after smoking. What exactly is it and what is the main cause? Read on for everything you need to know about obesity– And to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss this special report: How to catch COVID even after vaccination.
Overweight woman discussing test results with doctor in hospital.
Artur Viana, MD, Clinical Director of Yale Medicine’s Metabolic Health & Weight Loss Program, refers to the official definition of obesity: a chronic, recurrent, multifactorial, neurobehavioral disorder in which an increase in body fat promotes adipose tissue dysfunction and abnormal physical strength of fat mass, what leads to adverse metabolic forces. biomechanical and psychosocial health consequences.
“For the sake of simplicity, it is a disease that lasts for many years (chronic) that can get better and then worsen (relapse). It has many different causes that can coexist,” explains Dr. Viana. “When you are obese, fat mass increases and adipose tissue (which is involved in many important regulatory steps in metabolism) does not function as it should.”
Full figured young woman in a pink shirt feeling depressed
While some people think about obesity in terms of appearance, what is most worrying is the damage it causes in the body. “Obesity is serious because it is associated with poor mental health outcomes and decreased quality of life,” explains the CDC.
Dr. Viana states that health complications can include damage to the organ system leading to diabetes, joint disease, and gastroesophageal reflux, among other things.
The story goes on
Doctor measuring obese man waist body fat.
Dr. Viana reveals that there is no perfect way to diagnose obesity, but the most common way to do it is by calculating a BMI (Body Mass Index). “This is a number that is obtained by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters,” he explains.
A BMI of 30 or more is considered in the obese area. “However, this needs to be taken into account for each individual as BMI is not a good reflection of health and doesn’t take body composition into account,” he adds. For example, an athlete may have a BMI over 30 and not be obese, for example, or someone may have a BMI of 31 and not really have a health problem.
obesity
There are many factors that contribute to obesity. “Obesity is multifactorial, which means that many factors are involved, ranging from genetics, lifestyle, mental health problems (like trauma) to drug side effects,” says Dr. Viana.
“Behaviors can include physical activity, inactivity, eating habits, medication and other stresses,” adds the CDC. “Other factors include diet and physical activity environments, education and skills, and food marketing and advertising.”
Doctor in green uniform wears glasses and a surgical mask and advises, advises and advises elderly patients in the hospital
According to Dr. Viana there is no main cause. “Obesity medicine specialists wish there was a primary cause as it would make treatment much easier,” he reveals. But the NIH is a little more specific, saying that the main cause is “eating too much and not getting enough exercise … when you use a lot of energy, especially fat and sugar, but don’t burn the energy with exercise and exercise During activity, much of the excess energy is stored by the body as fat. “
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Woman with protective face mask turning on music on smartphone and putting on headphones before exercise.
Fortunately, obesity is preventable. “The best way to prevent this is to maintain a healthy lifestyle with exercise (recommended at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five times a week) and a healthy diet that contains minimal processed foods and focuses on the whole Foods like lean protein, whole grains, vegetables and fruits, “suggests Dr. Viana in front.
Weight loss
If you are overweight, you should take action immediately. “If you are struggling with weight gain and you feel unhealthy or think it is affecting you in any way, speak to your GP. They can advise you and refer you to an obesity medicine specialist if necessary,” suggests Dr. Viana. And to protect your health, don’t miss these Signs that you are developing one of the “deadliest” types of cancer.
