What you need to know about obesity

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

This is a disease that can significantly shorten life expectancy.

What is obesity and how it differs from being overweight

Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by excess accumulation of adipose tissue in the body. It requires lifelong treatment in order to reduce the risk of developing severe comorbidities, increase the duration and improve the patient's quality of life.

Unlike being overweight, obesity is a diagnosis. It can lead to other serious illnesses.

How can a person know that they are obese?

Obesity is diagnosed by calculating the body mass index (BMI).

BMI = weight (kg) / height² (m).

This index was developed by the Belgian mathematician, statistician and sociologist Adolphe Quetelet and has been used in medicine for over 150 years. It cannot be called the perfect method for diagnosing obesity: muscle mass is not taken into account in the calculations, so some athletes who are not obese may have a high BMI.

Only a doctor can accurately determine the degree of obesity, but a high indicator calculated by the patient at home may be a reason to consult a doctor.

• Normal body weight is 18, 5-24, 9.
• Overweight - 25-29.9.
• Obesity of the 1st degree - 30–34, 9.
• Obesity of the 2nd degree - 35–39, 9.
• Obesity of the 3rd degree - over 40.

What are the types of obesity

Abdominal, or upper

With this type, adipose tissue is concentrated around the internal organs. Visually, this is manifested by an increase in the abdomen, which is why the abdominal type of obesity is sometimes called the "apple".

To detect the disease, a measurement of the waist circumference is used. In men, obesity is diagnosed if this figure exceeds 94 cm, and in women - 80 cm. It is this type of obesity that is considered as a separate factor. Abdominal obesity: the clinical and social aspects of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Femoral-gluteal, or lower

This type is called "pear", opposing the abdominal, because in patients, adipose tissue is deposited in the buttocks and hips, and the person's figure begins to resemble a pear. This type of obesity is more common in women and less dangerous.

What are the consequences of obesity

Obesity is dangerous because it increases the risk of obesity and obesity for many diseases. Among them:

• dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis;
• cardiac ischemia;
• type 2 diabetes mellitus;
• hypertonic disease;
• sleep apnea syndrome;
• cholelithiasis;
• dysfunctions of the reproductive system and infertility;
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• oncological diseases.

These diseases significantly reduce life expectancy, especially when it comes to diseases of the cardiovascular system. For example, type 2 diabetes mellitus reduces life expectancy by 10. Different effects of diabetes mellitus on the life expectancy of men and women with diseases of the circulatory system years.

Why Obesity Occurs

Mostly obesity develops due to a positive energy balance. This means that a person consumes more energy than he spends. The increase in the percentage of people suffering from obesity, WHO associates obesity and overweight with two trends that are observed in modern society: the consumption of high-calorie foods and reduced physical activity.

Genes that a person inherits from their parents can also affect a person's weight: their appetite, the rate at which they burn calories during exercise, and how well the body converts food into energy.

Therefore, the main risk factors are:

• Sedentary lifestyle - less than 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day.
• Unhealthy diet - high-calorie foods high in transgenic fats and fast-digesting sugars. These are fast food, sugary drinks and foods, baked goods made from premium flour, fried foods, fatty meat, animal fats.
• Hereditary risk factors. This item includes not only genetics, which was mentioned above, but also the culture of food and physical activity that is instilled in a person in a family.

In addition to three main factors, there are also:

• Rare diseases such as Prader-Willi syndrome, hypercortisolism syndrome and some other conditions.
• Drugs that can lead to weight gain if not compensated for with diet or constant exercise. For example, antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs, steroids.
• Age. The decrease in physical activity and muscle mass with age can lead to a decrease in the required number of calories. This will lead to the appearance of excess weight, if you do not change the diet.

It should also be borne in mind that pregnancy, smoking cessation, insomnia, stress and strict diets that allow you to quickly lose weight, but not maintain the result, can also lead to excess weight and obesity.

When is it time to go to the doctor

To preserve your health, it is imperative to undergo medical examination and professional examinations. And follow the recommendations of the doctor of the medical prevention office for lifestyle changes.

The entire population of the Russian Federation over 40 years old can undergo the All-Russian clinical examination of the adult population of the Russian Federation annually, and at the age of 18 to 39 years - once every three years. During the examination, overweight and risk factors for chronic diseases, including unhealthy diet and low physical activity, are identified. If they are detected, the doctor of the medical prevention office or the local therapist conducts a deeper consultation in order to correct these factors and prevent the development of obesity.

If you have a high BMI and are unable to lose weight, it is worth consulting an endocrinologist and dietitian.

How obesity is treated

To combat overweight, the most important and difficult thing is changing your lifestyle. Increasing physical activity (preferably with pulse control and to the extent of your fitness), reducing the amount of calories consumed, adjusting the diet.

Diet

By themselves, diets are ineffective as a temporary effect. As soon as you stop adhering to a certain diet, the weight comes back - and even more than it was before losing weight. For treatment, you need to eat right throughout your life.

The most useful national cuisine is Mediterranean diet: A heart ‑ healthy eating plan Mediterranean diet consisting of products and dishes traditional for Greece and Italy: fruits and vegetables, cereals and legumes, fish and seafood.

Medications

The medical treatment of obesity is not very well developed today. In our country, only three groups of relevant drugs are registered - sibutramine, orlistat and liraglutide. They influence the processes affecting a person's weight: appetite and absorption of fats from food. As with any medicines, these drugs should be used with caution and prescribed by a doctor, as they have contraindications and side effects.

Surgery

Surgical methods are available for the treatment of extreme obesity (BMI over 40) or obesity associated with diabetes mellitus. Their efficiency is TREATMENT OPTIONS approximately 95%. After surgery, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, caused by obesity, not only lose weight, but also often return to normal blood sugar levels.

Surgical treatment is an operative reduction in the volume of the stomach, as a result of which nutrients are not absorbed in full in the gastrointestinal tract.

Before the procedure, the doctor checks whether the person has contraindications for the operation. Among them: exacerbation of inflammatory and ulcerative processes, pregnancy, severe mental disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction. After the operation, the surgeon and the patient continue to maintain contact, since the patient needs constant intake of trace elements and vitamins.