Being obese or being fat is obesity. How do we categorise a person as an obese person? In simple terms, the obese patient has more body fat than a non-obese person. The body mass index, in short, referred to as BMI is calculated with the person's weight in kilogrammes and height in square meters. If the BMI ranges from 25 to 29.9, the person is overweight. If the BMI is above 30, the person can be called an obese patient.
Being overweight is also referred to as pre-obese condition. There are three classes of obesity. They are the obese class I: BMI 30 to 34.99, obese class II: BMI 35 to 36.99 and lastly obese class III: BMI >40.
As per physiology, there are two kinds of fats, essential and nonessential fats. A normal body fat percentage for men is 18 to 24 and for women, it is 25 to 31. If the amount is above this range, the person can be termed as obese.
There are two types of body shape based on the fat accumulation. They are apple-shaped and pear-shaped. Apple-shaped individuals store fat in their abdominal area whereas pear-shaped people store in the hips and thighs. Apple shaped persons are more liable for obesity-related diseases than pear shaped individuals. This is because increased waist circumference leads to cardiovascular disease and predicts future risk of type 2 diabetes.
CAUSES FOR OBESITY: What could be the reason for obesity? What we eat, we must burn out with our day to day activities. If we do not exert to the required extent, fat gets deposited in our body and that's what increases the BMI and results in obesity.
1. Overeating of fatty foods, taking junk foods in excess.
2. Sedentary lifestyle, not being active.
3. Hereditary, if one or both the parents are obese, there is a possibility that the child could become obese.
4. Depression or any other illness.
RISKS OF OBESITY: Obesity leads to various chronic diseases such as
1. Diabetes mellitus
2. High blood pressure
3. High cholesterol.
4. Stroke
5. Heart attack
6. Congestive heart failure
7. Cancer
8. Osteoarthritis
9. Sleep apnea
10. Gout
11. Gallstones
PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
1. Take healthy foods: Take foods rich in fibre like fruits, vegetables, etc. By consuming less carbohydrate rich foods. Avoid fatty foods.
2. Physical activity: Go for a walk every day, do exercises.
3. Yoga: Some of the asanas are surya namaskar, halaasana, veerbhadrasana, pranayama,etc.
CHILDHOOD OBESITY:
Childhood obesity has become a very common occurrence these days. One of the reasons is the lack of physical fitness, the other reasons being hereditary, over eating etc. Physical activity like playing outdoor games can be introduced to them. Exercises and yoga can be taught to the children. They need to exert well to burn the extra calories. The involvement in sports activities is a big boost for weight reduction. Children should be encouraged to go into active sports both by the parents and by the teachers in the school. The school plays a major role as they spend most part of the day in the school. The children should not be encouraged to watch television, play computer games or video games for more than two hours a day. Yoga and meditation can also be introduced to the children.
Due to the increased weight, little ones could develop an inferiority complex because the other children might make fun of them and pass cheap comments. It is not only for little children but also for elder ones too. It is very important to seek medical and psychological guidance along with the fitness regime.
Let us not laugh or make things difficult for the obese patients. It is not just the medications and exercises that would make them lose their extra calories, it is the support from the family and friends that would make wonders for them. Our support will give them mental strength to fight against the extra calories.
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