Health Problems

OBESITY....

What does obesity mean?

Obesity is an excess proportion of total body fat or also called as total body composition.

Body composition includes lean body mass(muscle mass),fat, water and bone

 We always become alert with our body weight or body shape when we feel uncomfortable with the body, correct? Learning how to calculate our own BMI  is a good knowledge so that we can be more alert to control the weight and to maintain the weight nicely.

Body mass index(BMI)=Body weight (Kg) /  height X height  (m)

 A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight.

The most common measure of obesity is the body mass index, or BMI. A person is considered 

overweight if his or her BMI is between 25 and 29; a person is considered obese if his or her BMI is 

over 30.

You can get the range of BMI that stated by WHO from this link:-

http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp?introPage=intro_3.html

Also get the your own calculator here:- 

http://www.calculator.net/bmi-calculator.html

TYPE OF OBESITY

What we can describe by the word of TYPE here is something that can be differentiated one another. Different people they have different body type, so means, its similar to different people can become obese also in different ways. There have three types of OBESITY:-

• Simple obesity (alimentary obesity) – when a person consumes more calorie or energy that needed by the body, approximately 95% of obesity cases.
• Secondary obesity - results come from person who has medical/health problems such as Cushing’s syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, and insulin tumors. Other conditions can also cause secondary obesity.
• Childhood obesity – when children and adolescents are above the normal body weight for their height and age. Obesity can affect a child’s normal growth and development.

CAUSES OF OBESITY

   Lack of physical Activity

The overall energy imbalance i.e,more energy intake from food than energy output 

through physical activity and basal metabolic needs is the primary cause for excess 

weight. Excessive intake is stored in the body as fat.

 3500cal=1lb (0.45kg)of body fat.

A minor daily imbalance in which energy intake  exceeds output by a mere 100cal can 

result in significant weight gain in 1yr as follows:

100cal/d x 365 days/yr=36,500 extra kcal/yr 

36,500kcal/3500kcal/lb=10.4lb/yr (4.7kg)

   Hormonal Control

(i) Leptin –stored in adipose tissue determines a person’s set point of fat storage.

    Plasma leptin rise after weight gain and drops in weight loss.

    Newly discovered leptin is being produced in the brain. Some individuals have been    found to have early onset obesity and lack the leptin receptor, thus receiving no   negative feedback regarding energy intake.

(ii) Ghrelin.

The counterpart to leptin is the enteric peptide ghrelin. 

Ghrelin is an appetite stimulant secreted from the stomach to activate the 

appetite-regulating network.

When administered peripherally, ghrelin increases appetite and promotes adiposity.

Unhealthy diet and eating habits

    

Having a diet that is high in calories, eating fast food, skipping breakfast, eating most of your calories at night, drinking high-calorie beverages and eating oversized portions all contribute to weight gain.

Lack of sleep

Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite.

You may also crave foods high in calories and carbohydrates, which can contribute to weight gain.

Physiological factors

The amount of body fat a person carries is related to the number and size of fat cells in the body.

Critical period for becoming obese occurs during early growth periods when cells are multiplying rapidly in childhood and adolescence.

Once the body has added extra fat cells for more fuel storage ,these cells remain and can store varying amount of fat.

Middle age and older adults store more fat because of decreased BMR, physical activity and lean body mass.Women also store more fat during pregnancy and after menopause in response to hormonal changes.

Psychological factors

Work,Family,and social environmental may cultivate emotional stress, which many persons respond by eating for comfort.

Social pressures specially on women to maintain “thin "body contribute to the strain of constant dieting which in turn can perpetuate chronic dieters dilemma of yo-yo dieting and cause reduction in metabolic rate and lean body mass.

Certain medications

Some medications can lead to weight gain if you don't compensate through diet or activity. These medications include some antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications, antipsychotic medications, steroids and beta blockers.

Medical problems

Obesity can sometimes be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, and other diseases and conditions. Some medical problems, such as arthritis, can lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain. A low metabolism is unlikely to cause obesity, as is having low thyroid function.

Other Environmental factors

-Increase in availability of food

-Fast and convenient foods

-Increase in portion sizes

-Decrease in food preparation time and skills

-Decrease in physical activity

-Increase in screen time

-Decrease physical requirement in house hold activity

                     

Maintain your body weight by following the concept of ENERGY BALANACE

When you're obese, your overall quality of life may be lower, too. You may not be able to do things you'd normally enjoy as easily as you'd like. You may have trouble participating in family activities. You may avoid public places. You may even encounter discrimination.