(2024) Obesity and linked diseases. Control it with a healthy diet, active lifestyle and exercise.

Introduction:

Obesity is the excess fat in the body, especially around the belly. There may be various reasons for Obesity. If not controlled, various diseases may come to us. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce weight and control obesity. Active lifestyle, healthy diet, and physical activity are helpful to win the situation. So, in this blog, we will try to know all these things.

What is Obesity?

When your body weight is more than the standard parameter fixed by doctors, medical organizations etc., you will fall in the category of Obese.

Body mass index (BMI) is one of the parameters to find out about obesity.

BMI calculators are available on the internet. Nowadays, it is coming in smartwatches and smart weighing scales, etc.

Self-calculation of BMI: Ist option: If body weight is in Pounds, Multiply it by 703. Suppose the result is A. Take your height in inches and square it. Suppose the result is B. Then Divide A by B, and you will get BMI. Example:  If my body weight is 150 pounds, multiply it by 703. The answer is 105450. If my height is 65-inch, the square of 65 will be 65x65= 4225 Then divide 105450 by 4225. The answer will be 24.96 Therefore my BMI will be 24.96 2nd option: If body weight is in Kilograms (Kg). Divide it by the square of body height in meters. Example: If my body weight is 73 Kilograms.  My height is 1.63 meters. The square of the height will be 1.63x1.63 = 2.66 approximately. Then divide 73 by 2.66, the answer will be 27.44 approximately. Therefore, my BMI will be  27.44

Body Mass Index (BMI)
For Adults
BMI	Prediction
<18.5	Underweight
18.5 to 24.9 Note: This BMI range may vary from region to region. For Asian countries, it may be 18.5 to 23.	Normal
25.0 to less than 30	Overweight
30.0 and higher	Obesity
30 to 35	Class I obesity
35 to 40	Class II obesity
>40	Class III obesity
In addition to BMI, the following health-related parameters may be considered before taking any obesity treatment: Some specific athletes may have a BMI of more than the Normal range, but they may not be considered for the overweight category. Waist circumference.  Body fat percentage. Age, Gender, ethnicity, race, etc. Any other condition as decided by the Doctor, specialist, etc. For children, a separate BMI standard is fixed based on age and height. In case of need, child specialists or pediatrics may be consulted.

Why does obesity come to us?

People do not want to become obese, but obesity comes knowingly or unknowingly to us. Some of the possible reasons to become obese are mentioned below:

Genetics: It is not in our control. Obesity health problems may transfer to us from our parents.

Energy imbalance: If we are consuming more energy than burning out. Too much excess energy is stored in the form of fat and may make us obese.

Metabolism: Imbalance in metabolism (chemical reaction in the body) also, may be the reason for obesity.

Fast food, processed, junk food & its addictions: The market is full of these items. Various varieties are available. These items are made very tasty after research & development. Most people, including children, like such items. Ingredients of these items are full of refined material, oil, high-calorie contents, additives, preservatives, flavor, colors, sugars, sweeteners, etc. Such items have very little amount of healthy ingredients but due to their very good taste, we like and eat it regularly or frequently. It may be the cause of obesity and other diseases. Aggressive and attractive marketing of Fast food and confectionaries (sugary items) industries increase the consumption of these items at a large scale. These items (confectionaries and fast food) make us addicted due to the direct effect on the brain which forces us to eat such items. You may compare it with the addition of alcohol, drug abuse, cocaine, etc.

Hormonal imbalance: Some study shows that imbalances in some of the hormones (insulin, Leptin, stress, etc.) may attract obesity.

Excessive hunger syndrome

Medications: Consumption of some of the medicines may increase the body weight and chances of obesity.

A by-product of various health issues: Some diseases like PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), etc.

High intake of added sugar: Excessive use of added sugar is also one of the reasons to cause obesity.

Sedentary lifestyle: Sitting or relaxed life is also responsible for obesity because we do not burn the energy due to lethargic life.

Hypothyroidism: imbalance in the hormones produced by the thyroid gland.

Lack of physical activity and workout: Lack of physical activities, outdoor workouts, sports and games also attract obesity because energy consumed by us did not burn out as required.

Lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in daily diet: Most of the fruit and vegetables provide us little calories (carbohydrate, energy) and make the appetite full. It reduces the chances of becoming obese.

Lack of awareness: Due to a lack of knowledge, we did not follow the guidelines of a healthy lifestyle. We are required to regularly update our health-related knowledge to implement accordingly.

Unhealthy environment at home, school, workplace, social groups, friends, relatives, etc.

Age factor: Obesity may come at any age including children due to one or another reason, but as age increases, people become prone to becoming obese. Therefore, senior citizens are required to take more precautions to avoid obesity.

Smoking and quitting smoking both may be responsible for obesity.

Other health conditions like Gut bacteria, anxiety, stress, abnormal sleep, pregnancy, etc., may also be responsible for obesity.

Governments and other organizations are required to do more to reduce the problem of obesity and its consequences.

Examples of a few reasons of obesity

Diseases linked with Obesity:

Many people think that obesity affects our smartness and looks. It is true but partial. Obesity does not affect only smartness and looks but it increases the risk of several diseases. It may include the following:

Heart-related diseases.

High cholesterol.

Diabetes.

High Blood Pressure.

Liver-related diseases.

Sleep-related problems like Snoring, Sleep apnea, etc.

Some types of cancer.

Indigestion & gallbladder issues

Storks

Joint pain and orthopedic problems.

Skin-related problems.

Reduction in the efficiency of reproduction organs, fertility, menstrual disturbances, etc.

Psychological, mental, social, and emotional issues.

Depression.

Work efficiency.

Neurological illness.

Respiratory problems.

How to control and reduce obesity?

Reduce the weight by various options.

Reduce the consumption of fast (processed) food and sugary items like confectionaries, ice creams, etc.

Reduce the intake of added sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Increase the intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, plant-based proteins, berries, whole grains, food containing low carbohydrates and similar things.

Reduce the intake of saturated fats like refined oils, ghee, etc. Instead, limit the other oils having less saturated fat like olive oil, etc.

Reduce the intake of cold drinks, beverages containing high levels of carbohydrates and sugars, etc.

Make your behavior and environment stress-free.

Make an active lifestyle by more movement at work or at home.

Do physical activity, participate in sports, games or any other energy-burning activities.

Special category people like pregnant women, etc. should take proper precautions and consultation with the specialists.

Take sound and sufficient sleep.

Fix some screening time limits for TV, smartphones, laptop, etc.

Reduce or stop the consumption of tobacco, alcohol, cold beverages, and similar items.

Make a habit of walking for nearby distances to complete the task.

Regularly monitor your BMI (Body Mass Index) or other related parameters regarding obesity.

Support from family, friends, social groups, etc. for a healthy lifestyle.

Maintain a record of health parameters to diagnose the symptoms of obesity at an early stage.

Consult a doctor specialist or dietitian for medication, meditation, fat-burning exercises, healthy diet plan, etc.

Fast food, confectionery, and other similar industries should come forward to provide healthier ingredients in their eatables.

Examples of Healthy diet

Examples of physical activity

Calories burned during walking: Calories (energy) burned per hour during walking depends on the body weight, walking speed, etc. The rough and basic idea of calories burned and its relationship with body weight and walking speed on the flat surface is given in the below table. Please keep in mind that if you walk uphill, energy burned will be more. Energy burned during walking also depends on the surface (flat, up, down, etc.), climate, age, gender,        etc. The table gives the idea that if you walk fast, you will burn more energy.
Note: Unit conversion  Distance: 1 mile = 1.6 Km (approx.) Weight: 1lb (pound) = 453 grams (o.453 Kg) approximately. The unit of energy is calories.
Walking speed & body weight	3 miles per hour	4 miles per hour	5 miles per hour
120 lbs	180 calories.	275 calories	490 calories
150 lbs	225 calories	340 calories	615 calories
180 lbs	270 calories	410 calories	740 calories
210 lbs	315 calories	475 calories	860 calories
240 lbs	360 calories	545 calories	980 calories

Factsheet around the world

Roughly 15% of adults in the world are living with obesity.

Roughly more than 1 billion people are obese in the world.

Roughly 50% of the world's children (below the age of 5 years), who are overweight or obese, live in Asian countries.

In the world, roughly 40 million children below the age 5 may fall in the category of overweight.

Roughly 230 million or more adolescents (5-19 years old) in the world are living with being overweight. And roughly 160 million or more are living with obesity.

A few years back it was estimated that around 5 million people died due to obesity-related diseases. This number may be more at the present time.

It is observed that children suffering from malnutrition is more prone to becoming obese due to more consumption of items which may increase their weight. Lack of physical activities is also adding to this problem.

Roughly 40 % of adults and 20% of children (including adolescents) in the US are obese.

Summary: As we are now aware obesity may be the cause of various diseases related to heart health, liver, High blood pressure, orthopedic, certain types of cancer, depression, stress, indigestion, sleep disorder and snoring, diabetes, etc. It may also affect our work efficiency, reproduction organ efficiency, social respect,  smartness, etc. Some children may also be obese. Most of the reasons for obesity may be reduced or avoided. Therefore, we should adopt a healthy lifestyle, suitable physical activities, and a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits in our daily plan. Keep watch on BMI, it should be contained within normal range. The first indicator for obesity is BMI in the range of overweight. Whenever BMI comes in the overweight range. We should not wait further. We should consult the related expert, doctor, healthcare provider, dietitian, etc., and chalk out the customized plan for the physical activities, healthy diet, medication, etc. And follow the guidelines of the expert in true spirit. I think that if we stop the menace of obesity at an overweight level, we can come back to the normal range of BMI and enjoy a healthy, wealthy and happy life.

Disclaimer: This blog is for information and education purposes only. A lot of study is made on the following or similar websites. The best efforts are made to provide authentic and updated information. However, the author does not take any guarantee or responsibility (legal or otherwise) for its correctness, completeness and consequences. Since the author is not a specialist in the subject, therefore, before using the information, cross-check with reliable sources and consult with a specialist or healthcare provider to follow the guidelines accordingly. For any typographical errors or suggestions, please share with me for further improvement. https://www.mayoclinic.org https://www.who.int https://www.healthline.com https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov https://www.verywellhealth.com https://www.britannica.com https://www.forbes.com https://health.usnews.com https://www.weforum.org https://easo.org https://www.hsph.harvard.edu

= Health is wealth= = the end=