O world obesity day takes place this Saturday, March 4th.
The date was set by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of prevention and informing about the treatment of the disease.
Obesity is a chronic disease caused by abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in the human body, according to the WHO.
According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) released in 2020, 26.8% of Brazilians over 20 years old are considered obese. As for adolescents, 6.7% live with the disease.
A forecast is that by 2025 about 700 million people in the world are diagnosed with obesity, according to the WHO.
See the comment of the cardiologist and Obesity Manager of the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk Brasil on the challenges related to obesity in society today:
Brasil Escola spoke with specialists who talk about the general aspects of the disease regarding the perspective of Medicine and the Psychology.
Know more:what is obesity, risks and treatment
diagnosis of obesity
The diagnosis of obesity is defined according to the Body mass index(BMI), points out Tarissa Petry, an endocrinologist at the Specialized Obesity Center at the Alemão Oswaldo Cruz Hospital.
BMI is calculated as follows: divide a person's weight in kilograms (kg) by the square of their height (the height multiplied by itself).
Cardiologist Erika de Souza explains that there are three degrees of obesity. They are defined by BMI ranges.
Check the degrees of obesity:
Grade 1: BMI between 30 and 34.9;
Grade 2: BMI between 35 and 39.9;
Grade 3: BMI equal to or greater than 40.
See too:understand the disease portrayed in the movie A Baleia in theaters
Obesity risks
The risks of obesity are due to the influence it has on the development of other diseases, explains Erika.
Among these diseases are:
Cardiovascular diseases;
Diabetes type 2;
Arterial hypertension (high blood pressure);
Diseases in liver due to the deposit of fat in this organ;
Various types of cancer;
Kidney problems;
aggravation of Covid-19;
Joint pains.
Understand: the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease
obesity treatment
The treatment of obesity must be carried out in a multidisciplinary way, that is, involving professionals from different areas, argues cardiologist Erika de Souza.
"The treatment also includes changing eating habits, choosing healthy foods, without ultra-processed foods. Practice of physical exercises, psychological support and medication when indicated" - Erika de Souza.
Medical professionals are responsible for indicating the best approach, monitoring the patient's progress and changing strategies, says Erika.
Endocrinologist Tarissa emphasizes that the treatment is individualized and that in many cases medication is necessary.
This year, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) authorized Wegovy, an injectable drug against obesity.
Cardiologist Erika considers this approval an important achievement for people who live with obesity and overweight.
"Approval is the first step towards launching the drug in Brazil. There is still no defined date for it to reach the market, since after Anvisa's compliance analysis, it should be wait for other processes to be finalized, such as price definition by the Medicines Market Regulation Chamber." - Erika de Souza.
The importance of psychological support in obesity
Psychological support for people being treated for obesity is fundamental, argues psychologist Juliana Cristina.
"Obesity directly affects self-esteem, mood, self-confidence and especially in both personal and social relationships. A great difficulty that society has is understanding that obesity is a disease, and not a lack of care." - Juliana Cristina, psychologist.
The professional says that obesity can trigger "eating disorders, depression, anxiety, among many other factors that mainly affect social interaction and the relationship with the body."
Credit: Personal Archive.
Psychological support is a tool that acts in the process of self-knowledge, which may imply a acceptance and ways of dealing directly with the emotions and difficulties faced by obese people, concludes Juliana.
Fight against obesity
Obesity impacts public health and, therefore, the fight against the disease involves public authorities.
Endocrinologist Tarissa reinforces the importance of promoting awareness actions regarding healthier lifestyle alternatives since childhood. She also points out that enabling access to treatment is essential in combating the disease.
Credit: Disclosure
Child obesity
At Child obesity, Tarissa considers that BMI curves according to age are used to diagnose overweight children.
Treatment in these cases involves guidance on lifestyle changes and association of medication, if necessary, with the children. Some medications are released only after the age of 12, according to Tarissa.
Psychologist Juliana Cristina comments on childhood obesity.
“Childhood obesity has also grown a lot in recent years, especially after this post-pandemic period, generating the same disorders, but in a different way. Many of the children do not know about their emotions, do not understand obesity as a disease and begin to deal with exclusion and bullying, which begins in their own families and at school. These issues can affect their personal, school and relationship development, as the way children find to deal with all this is, most of the time, retracting their emotions and feelings." - Juliana Cristina, psychologist.
Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)
fatphobia
Fatphobia is defined as prejudice and discrimination against fat people.
In this sense, when talking about obesity and the social challenges of the disease, fatphobia is intrinsically present in the discussion.
Check out the debates related to fatphobia in the video lesson below:
By Lucas Afonso
Journalist
