Hospital Articles : Health News : Obesity Q & A

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Articles : Health News : Obesity Q & A

What are the major causes of obesity?
Obesity is a chronic condition that develops as a result of an interaction between a person's genetic makeup and their environment. How and why obesity occurs is not well understood; however, social, behavioral, cultural, psychological, metabolic, hormonal and genetic factors are all involved. Studies have proven that genetic factors may be responsible for up to 30% of the variation in people's weight. The rest is bad habits or weak mental attitude.

What happens to make a person gain weight?
Weight gain is dependent on a person's energy intake being greater than energy expenditure. One pound (0.45 kg) is equal to 3,500 calories. Therefore, a person consuming 500 calories more than he or she expends daily (two cans of Coke) will gain 1 lb a week. A person's body weight tends to range within 10% of a set value. Weight alterations in either direction cause changes in energy expenditure that favor a return to the set-point, which helps explain the persistent problem of the “yo-yo effect” following attempted weight loss.

How is this related to modern living?
Modern technology with all its aspects of affluence has produced well-fed countries with populations whose girths have expanded to match the increased standards of living. Along with industrialization and consumerism has come the fast food restaurants and highly processed packaged food items, with very little fiber and loads of sugar and fat to make them taste better, and to make life faster and more convenient. This has dramatically increased our consumption of bad carbohydrates and foodstuffs with little nutritional value. Unhealthy living, sedentary lifestyle, with little or no exercise, excessive hours spent in front of a television or computer, plus increased dining out where portion sizes are much larger has led to the advent of an obese dilemma.

How is obesity measured?
Body mass index (BMI) is used to define overweight and obesity. It is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters, A BMI of 25 or higher indicates overweight, 30 or higher obesity, and 40 or higher extreme obesity. Using this formula, a person who is 5 feet, 8 inches tall would be considered overweight at 165 pounds and obese at 200 pounds.

What lifestyle changes can one make that will prevent obesity?
Obesity is nearly 100 percent preventable by following some basic health principles:

Nutrition: Eat a diet of whole, nutritious foods rather than the processed ones that are found in most groceries. This includes cutting out grains and sugar, as these are two of the major culprits behind weight gain. Eat three meals a day at about the same time each day sitting at a table. Focus on the meal. Eat slowly. Avoid distractions such as television or magazines. Cook small amounts; use small plates. Avoid second helpings.

Exercise is another extremely important factor. If you are overweight, you will need at least 20 minutes of exercise a day to experience any weight loss benefits. Try walking if you are just starting out, and then gradually increase the intensity to include activities such as jogging, weight bearing exercises or any other form of physical exercise that you like. Don’t give up if you miss one day of exercise, just make up for it the next.

Changing your habits is also important. Never skip breakfast and eat supper at least 3 hours before you go to sleep. Drink lots of water especially before you start eating. Avoid junk food snacks, instead of the bag of crisps reach for raw vegetable sticks or a small bag of nuts. While dining out, ask for a take away box and use a small bread plate for buffet style restaurants to reduce portion size.

Visit a Medical Specialist. If you feel your weight problem is getting out of hand, visit a dietitian who will measure your BMI to make sure your diet is nutritious and individualized to your needs. Emotions also play a major role in obesity, as comfort eating sabotages many people’s weight loss efforts. Therefore it is helpful to seek psychological help or join a weight loss support group if you feel that you can’t do it by yourself.

What illnesses does obesity cause?
Hypertension and diabetes are the most common obesity-related diseases. The incidence of osteoarthritis, and gallbladder disease increases as weight increases and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease is significantly elevated. Other health risks include stroke, sleep apnea, gout and arthritis. Obesity dramatically increases the risk of fatal cancers. In the case of breast and ovarian cancer e.g.– it is thought that the excess oestrogen produced by obese patients increases the chance of developing these hormone-sensitive cancers.

Are there different types of obesity?

Before puberty: Fat cells in children are much more serious than in adults as the number of cells divide and become much higher. (An adult who was an obese child has an even greater likelihood of developing serious health problems than if the obesity developed in adulthood.)

After puberty: The numbers of fat cells after puberty are already fixed and so therefore they bulge and shrink but do not increase.

Men: When men become obese they take on the “apple shape” which is serious as the visceral fat is trapped behind the muscles around the intestines. This impairs circulation and blocks major vessels to the heart, which leads to cardiac disease. This kind of fat does not respond to liposuction.

Women: The pear shaped figure is typical of obese women - distinguished by the saddlebag thighs. This kind of fat responds well to liposuction.

What are the treatments for the different types of obesity?
Severe cases of obesity need medical supervision and follow-up especially with a nutritionist. Once a person has become obese, diet and exercise are ineffective over the long term as more than 90% of people who attempt to lose weight gain it all back once medical supervision concludes. Quick fix diets all work but sadly all fail. It is an extremely complex disease with an equally complex treatment.

Is it a childhood problem or more common in adulthood?
In the last two decades, the prevalence of overweight adolescents has nearly tripled, and now one out of every four American children are seriously overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Overweight and obese children are not only faced with increased health problems--heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal and orthopaedic problems, and type 2 diabetes to name a few--but they are also likely to suffer from low self-esteem and depression as a result of their weight. Being overweight or obese can take a huge emotional toll on a young child. Further, overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese as adults, and that chance moves closer to 80 percent if the child has a parent who is overweight or obese.