It would appear that obesity is the number one modern disease as we are always hearing about it in media, but has it really been around for decades without us being aware of it. I remember as a child in the 40s and 50s that older people were always well covered with body weight and were often very round indeed, and even some children experienced exactly the same infliction. These situations were just accepted as ‘life.’ I suppose the main difference now is life expectancy is greater than the typical 60 or 70 something years of the sooner days, and we also have be educated regarding the health problems which occur through obesity. Other factors also enter the equation now such as a simpler lifestyle with technological aids to reduce work, the familiarisation using the car and entertainment which requires little if any movement on our part.
Education on nutrition, food intake and guidelines on calorie requirements for healthy living are accessible but appear to have done little to address the problem. Are we really all so arrogant that people are prepared to play Russian Roulette with our lives, or shall we be simply confused? For example, I’ve got a very dear life-long friend that has been conscientious about eating and exercising correctly. She’s now in her own middle age and is suffering from the overweight problem. She is around 5 feet 8 inches tall, has always had a robust frame and wide waist even when she was slim, and it has increased from 11 stone in her own 20s to 14 stone now. According to the medical tables she’s very overweight or obese and yet the medical tables don’t seem to take into consideration that they has already established 4 children, is extremely strong and also to look at she is not carrying large numbers of additional body weight. She worked hard during a workout session exercising for 2 years and never lost one pound, has dieted carefully and walks at a pace regularly to make one’s heart beat, but she still cannot shed the excess weight. Her doctor admits she is doing everything right and does not seem to know how to remove the excess body weight. There are no issues with glands or body organs not functioning properly and all relative tests have been done and come back as negative. No surprise she is confused and doesn’t know what to do next, and how many other individuals are available struggling in the same manner?
There is no doubt about this that affluence and also the availability of a massive variety of food play a great part in us being tempted to eat an excessive amount of all too often. It is way too simple to over indulge ourselves nowadays and it requires a lot of self-discipline to avoid the temptations placed before us. But here are a few facts which may help as a deterrent since the onus depends on everyone’s shoulders to prevent the obesity disease.
So what does obesity actually mean? It’s a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated towards the extent we have an adverse effect on health. It’s a leading preventable reason for death and is increasing. Malnutrition or poor diet at the begining of life is thought to play a part in the rising rates of obesity as endocrinal changes occur in times of poor diet, which promote storage of excess fat once again food is eaten. In some parts of the world obesity is seen as a sign of wealth and fertility although in other parts it has a stigma. It is caused by a mixture of consuming excessive dietary calories and a loss of focus. In western society it would appear that the majority of the extra calories are drawn in through carbohydrate foods rather than fats, and much of these by drinking sweetened beverages and drinks and junk food. Normally obese people expend more energy than the others because so much energy is needed to maintain a larger body mass, which leads to increasingly more food being eaten to stop the feelings of hunger. Obesity may also be a genetic susceptibility, although this is rare, and in some cases it can be caused by endocrinal disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Few people put on weight through an underactive thyroid or slow metabolism.
If you cannot move around easily, bend down without gasping for breath and you get tired doing simple jobs having to rest regularly, the chances are you get this amazing problem. The doctors will tell you to watch your waist, and suggest that for that average man a healthy waist should be as much as 40″ (102cm) and for a lady up to 35″ (88cm). You may be told that you are at risk if the waist measurement exceeds these numbers, however it should be remembered that additional factors for example age, genetic build, occupation and having children for ladies may well affect the outcome. ‘Remember my friend I mentioned at the outset of my article? Even when she was young and slim carrying no excess bodyweight at all, her waist measurement was 34″. Then when she’d had her four children, experiencing and enjoying the stretched skin syndrome of pregnancy which never really returns fully to the original shape, she automatically exceeded the recommended measurement although she was perfectly fit and healthy. Interestingly research was completed recently where a number of ultra-fit men were measured for BMI and based on the medical charts each of them was grossly obese, even though it was medically proven that they were totally healthy in every way.
Obviously if the waist becomes vastly bigger than the chest area or hip area then something needs to be corrected, but it is important not to be too precise and to consider all factors. Your physician will measure your BMI (bmi) to discover regardless if you are obese or not, but again it is wise to regard age and build in the results. Once we grow older we automatically increase in excess body weight as a result of more sedentary lifestyle and the body changes shape. It is essential to not allow the increase get free from control by taking exercise daily and eating less, eating more wholesome foods which aren’t easily made available to the body such as fruit and veggies and whole-wheat products, but still maintaining a healthy diet. To discover your BMI do the following:-
Multiply your height number in metres alone. That provides your height squared.
Find your weight in kilograms and divide that number by your height squared.
The final number is the BMI.
Like a comparison to have an adult, a low weight is really a BMI under 18.5. It is only as dangerous to be too thin as to be too fat. A healthy BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9, and you are looked upon as a proper weight. If the BMI is between 25 and 29.9 you’re considered to be overweight and your health may begin to suffer. If the BMI is 30 or even more you’ll be looked upon as very overweight or obese and you ought to attempt to lose additional pounds.
So apart from the discomfort of being obese what’s all the fuss about you may ask. For the state, the price of coping with the resulting problems is enormous. For the individual obesity can lead to a reduced life expectancy or any other health problems for example: – cardiovascular disease or angina, diabetes type 2, hypertension, the like, abnormal levels of cholesterol, vein problems, certain kinds of cancer and osteoarthritis. Now if that’s not enough to do something like a deterrent allow me to give more detail on some further problems of this horrible disease and how it affects various areas of the body.
Cardiology – the heart. Usually angina.
Endocrine glands – hormones. Diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovarian syndrome, menstrual disorders, infertility, pregnancy complications, birth defects but still birth.
Neurology – the brain and nervous system. Stroke, migraines, dementia, intracranial hypertension and ms.
Psychiatry – emotional and mental disorders. Depression in females and social stigmatization.
Dermatology – skin disorders. Stretchmarks, lymphedema (lymph gland disorders), cellulitis, hirsutism (superfluous facial and the body hair in women) and intertrigo (chafing of your skin between your thighs and armpits).
Gastrointestinal – Digestive tract disorders, fatty liver disease and gallstones.
Oncology – cancers. Breast, ovarian, oesophageal, colon, liver, pancreatic, gall bladder, stomach, endometrial, cervical, prostate, kidney, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer).
Respiratory – Obstructive sleep apnoea, obesity, hypoventilation syndrome, asthma and increased complications during anaesthesia.
If you’re one of the those who are discovered to possess obesity, what else could you do about it? First of all look at your diet. Improve your activity and walk as much as possible making your heart rate increase enough to help you sweat just a little. You may also need to diet, but it might be a good idea to do all of this with your doctor’s guidance. Weight loss programs provide confidence, encouragement and changes in lifestyle.
In extraordinary instances surgery might be necessary but this carries perils of its very own and should simply be done as a very last resort. However the best solution isn’t to permit you to ultimately become obese to begin with. Bear in mind at an initial phase that weight increase is happening and take control and avoid the horrors of the dreadful disease called obesity.
It would seem that present day society has also transferred this terrible complaint and the need to eat an excessive amount of to our treasured pets. It’s discovered that so many dogs, cats and even rabbits suffer from overweight and also the affects of obesity. By our over enthusiasm to provide our pets the very best in meals, we are inflicting them with the prospects of the early death, so it is imperative that everybody reaches grips with this particular situation and takes responsible action to avoid a future catastrophe.