What are the dangers of obesity?

In real life, we always see obese people around us, they may be your family, friends, or yourself. Many people also think it is a proud thing to raise their children to be fat. Therefore, obesity is not far away from us, and we must pay attention to the problem of obesity!

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease usually caused by excessive energy intake and insufficient physical activity. Body mass index (BMI) is a common indicator to measure whether a person is overweight or obese. BMI is calculated by dividing weight (kg) by height (m) squared. The 2024 World Obesity Report defines overweight and obesity in adults as: body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25-30 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2.

my country recommends that adults with a BMI of 24 or more be diagnosed as overweight, and those with a BMI of 28 or more be diagnosed as obese. For children and adolescents, BMI cutoffs corresponding to different ages and genders are used.

The report points out that the number of adults affected by overweight/obesity worldwide will increase from 2.2 billion in 2020 to 3.3 billion in 2035, and the global share will increase from 42% to 54%.

It should be noted that BMI is only an indicator to assess whether a person is overweight or obese. It cannot fully take into account factors such as muscle mass, bone density and fat distribution. Therefore, when assessing an individual's weight status, other factors such as waist circumference and body fat percentage need to be considered.

Is obesity hereditary? What are the causes of obesity?

Obesity can indeed affect your appearance. Obesity can cause fat to accumulate in certain areas, such as the abdomen, hips and thighs. This can lead to an unbalanced body shape and affect your personal image and self-confidence.

Obesity is also a complex disease, and genetics is an important factor. Studies have shown that if there is an obese person in a family, the risk of other family members suffering from obesity will also increase.

Specifically, the genetic mechanism of obesity involves the interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors. Some genes can affect appetite, metabolic rate, energy consumption, etc., thus affecting body weight.

In addition, environmental factors also play an important role in the inheritance of obesity. For example, lifestyle factors such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and insufficient sleep can increase the risk of obesity. These factors can be used to prevent and treat obesity by changing lifestyle.

Unreasonable dietary structure among children and adolescents, unhealthy eating behaviors, and improper feeding during infancy are important causes of obesity.

It’s important to note that while genetics plays a role in obesity, it’s not the only factor. Many people can maintain a healthy weight even if they have genes associated with obesity.

Therefore, in addition to genetic factors, other factors such as diet, exercise, and mental state also need to be taken into consideration.

What harm does obesity bring to patients?

1. Cardiovascular disease: Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes.

2. Diabetes: Obesity is one of the main risk factors for diabetes, which can lead to insulin resistance and increased blood sugar.

3. Respiratory diseases: Obesity affects the function of the respiratory tract and increases the risk of respiratory diseases such as sleep apnea syndrome and asthma.

4. Joint diseases: Obesity increases the burden on the joints and can easily lead to problems such as arthritis and knee pain.

5. Cancer: Obesity also increases the risk of developing breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer and many other cancers.

6. Mental health problems: Obesity can have a negative impact on a patient's self-esteem and self-confidence, and can easily lead to psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. Increased mortality: Obesity increases the risk of premature death, especially mortality related to cardiovascular disease.

The study also found that obese people have worse career development and income than non-obese people.

World Obesity Day is held on March 4th every year to raise public awareness of obesity and encourage positive measures to prevent and treat obesity. On this day, institutions and organizations around the world will hold various activities to respond to this increasingly serious public health problem.

Therefore, it is very important to prevent and treat obesity. The risk of disease can be reduced by controlling diet, increasing exercise, changing lifestyle, etc. For patients who already have obesity, they should actively receive treatment and management from doctors to reduce the occurrence of complications.

Here are some ways to deal with obesity:

1. Control your diet: Reduce the intake of high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar foods, and increase the intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. When controlling energy, you must proceed step by step and gradually reduce your weight. Excessive or rapid energy reduction will not only affect or damage your health, but also make it difficult to stick to it and lead to poor compliance. Fresh vegetables and fruits are low in energy, rich in nutrients, and have a clear sense of fullness, so there is no need to restrict them too much when dieting to lose weight.

2. Increase the amount of exercise: do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, etc. (30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day, most days of the week).

Higher levels of physical activity (200-300 minutes per week) are recommended to maintain weight loss and prevent weight regain after weight loss.

3. Change your lifestyle: Quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and get enough sleep to help regulate hormone levels and reduce stress.

4. Drug treatment and surgical treatment.

It is generally believed that reducing body weight by 5%-15% within 6 months is a feasible and healthy weight loss goal. It should be noted that the weight loss process requires patience and persistence, and one should not rush for success. At the same time, weight loss treatment should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor to avoid adverse reactions and complications. Please note that everyone's physical condition and needs are different, so before starting any weight loss plan, you can consult a doctor or nutritionist for advice and develop a personalized weight loss plan.