Definition and Causes of Obesity
Obesity and overweight are chronic conditions due to the accumulation of fat in the body that is very high and beyond normal limits.
In adults, both men and women, To classify body weight, a simple index called the Body Mass Index is used (IMT). BMI is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height (kg/m2). A person is said to be overweight when his IMT is greater or equal to 25. While a person is said to be obese when his IMT is greater or equal to 30.
According to research conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the year 2016, as much 39% man and 39% old woman 18 years or more of being overweight (IMT 25kg/m2) and 11% man and 15% women are obese (IMT 30kg/m2). It can be concluded that almost 2 billion adults are overweight and of that number, more than half a billion are obese. Both overweight and obesity have shown marked improvement over the years 4 the last decade. The obesity rate in men has risen from approx 3% in the year 1975 and in women from more than 6% in the year 1975.
The underlying cause of obesity and overweight is an imbalance between calorie intake and calories expended. Another cause is the high intake of foods that are high in fat and sugar, as well as a lack of physical activity.
Obesity and Other Diseases
Apart from that, being overweight as well as obesity can indeed lead to other, more serious health problems, like a receipt, hypertension, cancer, diabetes and others. Although not all obese people have a risk of developing these diseases, but most have the potential to suffer it, especially if you already have a similar history from your family. The disease, namely:
- Diabetes Type 2
- Cancer
- Gallstones
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Sleep Apnea
Apart from physical disturbances, obese people can also suffer from mental disorders such as prejudice and discrimination, not only from the general public but also from health professionals, and this can make them reluctant to seek medical help.
Prevention of Obesity
There are various ways you can do to prevent obesity and being overweight, some of them namely:
- Maintain diet and food intake
- Increase consumption of vegetables and fruit
- Do regular physical activity
- Increase knowledge about obesity and overweight
