Obesity is a chronic disease serious that deserves a lot of attention, mainly because it is related to the development of other serious Currently, according to the annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, of the United Nations Food and Nutrition Organization. Agriculture (FAO), published in 2019, 338 million school-age children and adolescents are overweight and 672 million adults are obese.
We will talk more about this condition that is currently considered by the World Health Organization, a worldwide epidemic.
Read more: Importance of physical activity and consequences of sedentary lifestyle
What is obesity?
Obesity is a serious chronic disease whose main characteristic is the exaggerated accumulation of body fat, responsible for compromising the individual's health. This accumulation can be the result, for example, of an excessive consumption of calories and/or lack of physical exercise.
However, despite the lifestyle being an important factor, obesity is considered a disease of
etiology multifactorial, that is, it is not caused by just one factor. Thus, we can say that obesity is complex and involves biological, historical, socioeconomic, psychosocial and cultural factors.Although obesity is related to weight gain, it is essential to understand that weight gain does not always mean excess body fat. Some athletes, for example, are overweight because their muscle mass is developed. |
Excess body fat is generally a serious problem. However, there are greater risks depending on where this buildup occurs. A greater risk is associated with excess of abdominal fat, this situation being known as android obesity. In this case, there is a greater accumulation of visceral adipose tissue, which favors the development of metabolic disorders. When fat has a more peripheral distribution in the body, we say that it is gynecoid obesity, a condition that is little less worrying.
Read too:Dangers of childhood overweight
Obesity Risks
Obesity can trigger a series of important complications in the health of individuals. See some of them:
Obesity is related to an increase in problems that affect the cardiovascular systemr, such as stroke and acute myocardial infarction, and with frames of hypertension.
Obesity is related to the development of diabetes mellitustype 2.
Obesity is related to the development of osteoarthritis, a health problem characterized by the wear and tear of the cartilage joint and bone problems.
some types of cancer, like straight, prostate and breast, are related to obesity.
Obese individuals more often present sleep apnea, a health problem that causes repeated and temporary stops of breathing during sleep.
Obesity is considered a risk factor for the development of esophagopharyngeal reflux and hiatal hernia (when portion of the stomach slides into the chest through the hiatus of the diaphragm).
Obesity is related to the development of gallstones.
According to the Ministry of Health, more than 80,000 deaths in the country could be avoided if patients were not obese. |
How can obesity be determined?
Obesity can be determined by a number of different methods, the most popular being Body mass index (BMI). To calculate it, divide a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. Obese individuals are those who have a BMI equal to or greater than 30 kg/m2. Rates between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2 indicate cases of overweight.
It is noteworthy that, despite being widely used, the BMI has some limitations, for not being fully correlated with the amount of body fat. This happens because this index does not differentiate between lean mass and fat mass, moreover, it does not provide information about fat distribution.
As mentioned, it is important to check for visceral fat, which is a risk factor for many diseases. Therefore, the BMI should be used with caution, and it is critical that other methods be considered for determining body fat.
Also access: Limitations of BMI - in women, elderly and men, and in pregnancy
obesity treatment
Obesity will be treated individually, as it is essential to assess the factors that are promoting weight gain. Among the treatments for obesity are the nutritional education and the performing physical activities.
In some cases, medicines will be managed and surgeries may be recommended. It is important to emphasize that treating obesity can guarantee the improvement and even the definitive resolution of health problems associated with it.
Read too: Sugar in food - consumption, types of sugar and consequences
Tips to prevent weight gain
As we have seen throughout the text, obesity is directly related to our lifestyle habits, being, therefore, It's critical to change the way we behave to avoid weight gain. Therefore, here are some tips that can help you avoid this gain:
Eat five to six meals a day and don't skip meals.
Have fixed times to eat and avoid that "pinch" between meals.
Always prefer healthy foods, always including vegetables, vegetables and fruits in your meals.
Avoid foods high in fats and sugars, as well as processed foods.
Do not eat restrictive diets as they can lead to binge eating.
Drink lots of water. The recommendation is to drink at least two liters of water daily. It is noteworthy that this recommendation may vary according to age, health condition, existence of physical activities and local temperature.
Practice physical activities. According to the World Health Organization, it is recommended to practice 150 minutes a week of light or moderate physical activity or at least 75 minutes of great exercise intensity.
October 11th is World Obesity Day and National Obesity Prevention Day. This date is important for us to become aware of the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits. |
By Ma. Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos