Obesity; its causes and how to prevent obesity
What is Obesity?
Obesity is accumulation of excessive body fat. Though often obesity is not regarded as a disease but it is actually a medical problem which can be a reason of many diseases like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other related diseases. So, it is very important to know about ‘Obesity; its symptoms, causes, effects and how to prevent obesity.’
Its symptoms; when someone is Obese?
To put in a simple way, being fat is carrying more fat than usual on one’s body. But as having this ‘more fat’ can be confusing and cannot clearly define whether you are actually obese or not, so there is a certain parameter to ascertain whether you are underweight, normal weight or overweight. This deciding parameter is known as body mass index or BMI.
What is Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI relates to height and weight. BMI is a person’s weight in kg divided by the square of height in metres. BMI is actually quantified measure of muscles, fat and bones of your body. So if you carry excess fat in your body you will have higher BMI.
Though a high BMI have numerous health risks, but for an athlete or someone who is very active this might not be the case because those people may have high BMI because of more muscle, not fat, present in their body.
Obesity; its symptoms, causes, effects and how to prevent obesity
What causes obesity?
Obesity occurs when you take in more calories than you require. When this excess calories that you cannot burn in the form of your daily activities or exercise, your body starts storing this excess calories in the form of fat. Though it appears very simple but obesity might be caused because of many reasons. Here are possible causes.
1.Inheritance from family
Obesity often runs into families. Your inheritance of genes from your forefathers can actually define the way your body accumulates fat and burn calories during certain physical activities. Often it is found that all family members have the same eating habits and even how they burn calories also to some extent remains similar.
2.Lifestyle
Your lifestyle can be a great factor in your weight gain. It may include the unhealthy diet that you may be habituated to. If your diet is high in calories, junk food and high-calorie beverages, then you are actually preparing the ground for increasing your BMI which will make you obese. To make matters worse, you may lead a sedentary lifestyle where your physical activity may be minimal and your calorie intake might be quite high.
3.Diseases and medications
If you are suffering from certain diseases like arthritis then it might be a reason of obesity. Again, certain medicines to treat your diseases can increase your weight also.
4.Aging
Though obesity may even occur in young children but as you grow older and certain hormonal changes take place in your body, coupled with less physical activity, your risk of being overweight increases manifold. The change in your body’s metabolism also makes it quite difficult to fight off weight gain.
The above list is not all- inclusive, and there might be other reasons of obesity like stress or lack of sleep.
Obesity and its complications:
Obesity brings with it a number of diseases which your body might find difficult to tackle. Given below is a list of diseases which you may have to suffer from in case you are obese.
- Problems in digestion
Weight gain that is your obesity might be a reason of heartburn, gallbladder and liver problems.
- Sleep related problems
Obese people are prone to suffer from problems in having sound sleep and it might have serious consequences.
- Infertility and sexual problems
Obesity may be a reason of infertility in women and they may face irregular periods. In men, it might be a reason of erectile dysfunction.
- Osteoarthritis
Your weight-bearing joints have to bear extra pressure because of your extra accumulated body fat. Also, obesity may promote inflammation within the body. All these factors might result in osteoarthritis.
5.Heart diseases
Obesity might be a reason of high blood pressure and rise in cholesterol levels. This can lead to heart related diseases and strokes.
- Diabetes
Obesity disturbs your body’s way of using insulin to control blood sugar levels. This can lead to increased risk of diabetes.
How to prevent obesity?
For losing weight, physical exercise is very important. Along with physical exercise, your intake of calories should also be checked. If you are desperate to look slim and trim, it is essential that you burn calories in daily workouts and other physical activities. And, as you start physically being active it is very important that you further reduce your daily intake of calories.
What to include for losing weight?
Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Also, add protein by eating legumes, whole grain, nuts, seafood and lean meats. If you are interested in dairy products, make sure that you eat fat-free and low-fat dairy products. And yes, decrease your salt intake too.
What to exclude?
Avoid sugar and foods having more than required amount of saturated fat. Say no to junk food and curtail food rich in saturated fat and cholesterol.
A 360-degree overview
Our changed lifestyle and cut throat competition to prove our worth have made it quite impossible to get time for keeping our body fit, and anyone is prone to obesity. But keeping in mind the health risks which come with obesity and the difficulty that it poses to lose weight, It is very important to keep an eye on obesity symptoms i.e. your body mass index (BMI) so that you remain alert and make certain modifications in your lifestyle to lead a healthy life.
(The content of this article is for informational purpose only. It cannot be a substitute for advice from a medical practitioner. Read DISCLAIMER for more…)
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