What is Obesity:
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the concept of obesity as having “excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.” In simpler terms, it means that a person has high fat content in their body which significantly increases the risks for diseases and conditions.
BMI:
In order to detect obesity, along with many other methods, the BMI or “Body Mass Index” is the most popular metric. A value of over 25 in the BMI scale indicates that a person is overweight while a value over 30 categorizes someone as obese.
Health Impacts:
As expected, there are bound to be countless negative side effects obesity. Just to name a few, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are very common effects. Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, 1 in 5 children have been diagnosed with obesity! And on that note, an even more alarming fact is how it affects 1 in 3 adults as well! Children who experience obesity now are more likely to continue to experience obesity into adulthood, meaning that their health will slowly yet detrimentally deteriorate over time. They are more than likely to have heart diseases, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and a variety of cancers. The 5 leading causes of death in today’s generation are heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, and unintentional injuries. As you can probably tell, a lot of those issues are often associated with obesity. Essentially, obesity and health problems go hand in hand.
Causes:
So now that we know what obesity is, how it is diagnosed, and some common side effects, let’s talk about how and why it occurs. Some of the reasons include eating large amounts of calorie dense food (e.g. junk food), and not exercising enough. The average physically active man requires 2500 calories while the average physically active woman requires 2000 calories. If anyone exceeds this amount and doesn’t work to burn off the excess calories, fat will form. If someone consistently consumes more calories than they burn, fat will accumulate. Over time, if this continues, it could lead to becoming overweight, and potentially even obese. Apart from those somewhat obvious reasons, other possibilities include genetics or medical reasons. If we take a look at genetics, we may see how certain genetic traits (such as a large appetite) may be inherited from your parents – making it harder to lose and/or maintain weight. Lifestyle influences genetics as well; for example, if your family regularly enjoys large meals, it might be hard to resist indulging along with them. Medical conditions such as an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) or Cushing’s Syndrome may also contribute to unhealthy weight gain.
Common causes of overeating (which may lead to obesity):
A common cause for overeating is boredom. Even though it’s summer and boredom is inevitable, eating isn’t always the best solution. While food can be enjoyable and provide entertainment, you should not resort to eating to cope with boredom. Another factor of overeating that can lead to obesity is emotional eating. When you are stressed, sad, or happy, you may eat more than usual. Of course that is entirely normal once in a while, but you should avoid using food as an emotional support system.
What you can do:
In order to ensure that you maintain a healthy weight, it is important to be conscious of your choices. For example, try to monitor junk food intake, sleep the recommended hours, and exercise daily! If you lead a lifestyle where you don’t frequently eat takeout and avoid lounging on the couch all day, you should be in good shape! For example, my mom always told me how I need to exercise for at least an hour daily. That doesn’t have to mean spending hundreds of dollars on a gym membership. Instead playing a sport or running around in your community will give you the same benefits. Of course, it is crucial to listen to your body and not ignore it – especially when it comes to food. Your body is a working machine, and you should strive to make sure it stays in good condition! It’s still ok to devour chocolate cake while binging your favourite rom-com, but just make sure to practice moderation!
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