Obesity (Excessive Fat, Overweight, Big Belly)

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The foods we eat every day contribute to our well being. Foods provide us with the nutrients we need for healthy bodies and the calories we need for energy. If we eat too much, however, the extra food turns into fat and is stored in our bodies. If we overeat regularly, and if we continue to gain weight, we may become obese (overweight).

Obesity means accumulation of excessive fat on the body. Obesity is considered a chronic (long-term) disease, like High Blood Pressure or diabetes. It has many serious long-term consequences for your health, and it is the second leading cause of preventable deaths. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30. The BMI is the measure of your weight relative to your height.

In most of the developed world, more than half of their population is overweight including at least one in five children. Locally, in our society, most of our food is fatting and we do not take much physical exercise, and therefore the tendency for obesity.

In most of the developed world, more than half of their population is overweight including at least one in five children. Locally, in our society, most of our food is fatting and we do not take much physical exercise, and therefore the tendency for obesity.

In the developed world, families spend much money on dieting, diet foods, diet books, diet pills, and the likes. In addition, more money is spent on treating diseases associated with obesity. Furthermore, some businesses suffer huge financial loss each year from absence from work due to illness caused by obesity.

Causes of Obesity:

Weight gain occurs when you eat more calories than your body uses up. If the food you eat provides more calories than your body needs, the excess is converted into fat. Initially, fat cells increase in size. When they can no longer expand, they increase in number. If you lose weight, the size of the fat cells decreases, but the number of cells does not.

OBESITY, however, has many causes. The reasons for the imbalance between calorie intake and consumption vary by individual. Your age, sexes, and genes, psychological makeup, and environmental factors all may contribute.

Genes: Obesity tends to run in families. This is caused both by genes and by shared diet and lifestyle habits. Having obese relatives does not guarantee that you will be obese.
Emotions: Some people overeat because of depression, hopelessness, anger, boredom, and many other reasons. This does not mean that overweight and obese people have more emotional problems than other people. It just means that their feelings influence their eating habits, causing them to overeat. In some unusual cases, obesity may be used as a defense mechanism because of the perceived social pressures related to being more physically desirable, particularly in young girls. In these cases, as with the other emotional causes, psychological intervention may be helpful.

Environmental factors: The most important environmental factor is lifestyle. Your eating habits and activity level are partly learned from the people around you. Overeating and sedentary habits (inactivity) are the most important risk factors for obesity.

Sex: Men have more muscles than women, on average. Because muscle burns more calories than other types of tissue, men use more calories than women, even at rest.
Age: People tend to lose muscles and gain fat as they age. Their metabolism also slows somewhat.

Pregnancy: Women tend to weigh an average of four to six more after a pregnancy than they did before the pregnancy. This can compound with each pregnancy. This weight gain may contribute to obesity in women.

Certain medical conditions and medications can cause or promote obesity although these are much less common causes of obesity than overeating and inactivity. Some examples of these are as follows:
Hypothyroidism (Poor function of the thyroid gland)
Cushing syndrome

Depression

Certain medications (examples are steroids, antidepressants, birth control pills)

Polycystic ovarian syndrome
‘Glands’ (Hormonal problems) are rarely the cause of obesity.

Obesity can be associated with other eating disorders, such as binge eating or bulimia.

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Copyright Liberian Observer

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By:
Dr. Lily Sanvee
http://www.liberianobserver.com/node/6093

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