Obesity

Overview

Obesity is a multifaceted, chronic condition characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat, often leading to adverse health outcomes. In adults, obesity is typically defined by a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above, with a BMI of 40 or higher classified as severe obesity, while childhood obesity is evaluated using growth charts.

Obesity is frequently caused by hereditary, physiological, and environmental variables in addition to choices made about nutrition, exercise, and physical activity. While body fat itself is not inherently pathological, its surplus can disrupt normal bodily functions, exacerbating health issues over time.

Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, sleep apnea, and some types of cancer are some of the health issues associated with obesity. Fortunately, these obesity-related health issues can be avoided or improved with even a small amount of weight loss. Other choices for managing obesity include prescription medications and weight-loss techniques.

Symptoms

Obesity is commonly defined by BMI. While BMI offers a general estimate of body fat, it does not directly measure it, which can lead to misclassification, especially for muscular individuals. Other tools to assess obesity include:

• Waist circumference: The health risks increase for men over 40 inches and women over 35 inches
• Body fat percentage: The percentage is for monitoring progress in weight loss programs.

BMI is calculated by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared and multiplying by 703, or by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. A BMI of 23 or higher in Asians may indicate increased health risks.

Obesity significantly raises the likelihood of premature death from various causes and affects metabolism by causing insulin resistance. Excessive body fat can compress respiratory organs and strain the musculoskeletal system, leading to conditions such as asthma, sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, osteoarthritis, back pain, and gout.

Consult a healthcare provider if weight or health issues linked to it becomes worrisome. It is important to thoroughly evaluate the specific health risks involved and engage in a comprehensive discussion about potential strategies for weight loss.

Causes

Obesity results from an imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure, causing excess fat accumulation. This issue arises from a combination of individual and systemic factors, both personal and societal in nature.

Various factors contribute to increased calorie consumption, such as:

• Prevalence of fast and convenience foods in communities and households
• Normalizing the consumption of processed foods and sugary drinks
• Psychological factors like boredom, loneliness, and stress can lead to overeating
• Hormonal imbalances
• Certain medication
• Sedentary behaviors

Factors reducing calorie expenditure include:

• Increased screen time
• Changes in the workforce towards desk jobs
• Fatigue from sedentary lifestyles
• Inadequate neighborhood designs lacking in active spaces
• Childcare trends favoring indoor activities
• Challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in accessing physical activity opportunities and specialized resources

Risk factors

Obesity involves actively countering multifaceted factors, such as:

• Genetics and familial influences: Genes influence factors such as metabolic efficiency, appetite regulation, and calorie burning during physical activity. Obesity often has familial patterns, attributable not only to shared genes but also to common dietary and lifestyle habits among family members. Generally, the genes received from the parents could influence the quantity and distribution of body fat that one accumulate.
• Age: As an individual ages, muscle mass tends to decrease, which slows down metabolism and lowers calorie needs, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight. Obesity can develop at any age, including in children, but it becomes more likely as a person gets older due to hormonal shifts and reduced physical activity.
• Lifestyle decisions
  • Poor eating habits: Weight gain is a result of heavy in fast food, high in caloric drinks, and large in portion sizes and diet high in calories.
  • Lack of physical activity: Spending excessive time in front of screens is linked to weight gain. Being inactive means consuming more calories that a person can burn off through exercise and regular everyday activities.
  • Liquid calories: Soft drinks with added sugar are known to cause weight gain. Liquid calories, like those from alcohol and sugary beverages, can be consumed without feeling full.
• Certain medications: Steroids, some antidepressants, diabetes drugs, and antipsychotics, may cause weight gain if not balanced with diet and exercise.
• Certain medical conditions: Health issues such as arthritis can decrease physical activity, leading to weight gain. In some cases, conditions like hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome can contribute to obesity in some individuals.
• Social and economic issues: The influence of friends and family who are obese can increase the likelihood of obesity development. Lack of access to healthy foods and knowledge about healthy cooking methods may also contribute.

Many people do not have nearby places where they can exercise because they either can’t access them easily or they do not feel safe there. Some neighborhoods are not designed for walking, and people might not see others being active in their communities.

• Other factors
  • Inadequate sleep: Hormone changes brought on by insufficient sleep might enhance appetite leading to increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods.
  • Stress: Under stress, people tend to seek out more high-calorie foods.
  • Microbiome: Weight gain or difficulty decreasing weight is influenced by the composition of the gut flora.
  • Being pregnant: Pregnancy-related weight gain can persist postpartum and contribute to obesity in women.
  • Quitting smoking: Although stopping smoking still has a bigger positive impact on one’s health than continuing to smoke, some people to acquire enough weight to be considered obese. This happens when people turn to food as a coping mechanism for their smoking cessation.