Chandigarh:8 Apr: (Dr (Mrs) Neeru Malik and Dr Rakesh Malik ) Overweight or obesity occurs due to an imbalance between excessive calorie consumption and inadequate physical activity. There is more than one reason for obesity such as psychological, genetic, metabolic, behavioral, environmental, cultural, socioeconomic etc. BMI test, is the most accurate and easy method for measuring obesity. The individual BMI over 40 are called morbid obesity and result
various health hazards .there are various ways and mean to control to obesity like exercise, dieting, surgery, medicine and main is daily life style I am fat, am obese, am not slim, am not good looking, is a phrase we commonly hear by the people of all ages, so to understand the issue first of all we have to know what is obesity and psychology of being fat or obese.
What is Obesity?
Obesity is defined as condition in which the natural energy reserve, are stored in the fatty tissue of human and other mammals and is increased to a point where it is associated with certain health conditions or increased mortality
How to measure obesity
BMI test, is the most accurate and easy method for measuring obesity.
BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It calculates obesity level by dividing your body weight in kg by your height in meter square. For example, if you are weighing 86 kg with a height of 178 cm, then your BMI is 86/(1.78) 2=27.14
You can consult the below given BMI chart to know in which category you fall.
18.5-24.9 – Healthy Weight
25 to 29.9 – Over weight
30 to 39.9 – Obese
40 or 59.9 – Morbidly Obese
What is morbid Obesity?
Morbid obesity is a term which is usually reserved for someone with a body mass index of over 40, in other words weighing twice the ideal weight. Morbid obesity is a frightening term and it is a condition which could spell a death sentence, in terms of health risks associated with morbid obesity. These include diabetes, which can have series of side effects, such as blindness and kidney failure, heart disease, many types of cancer, stroke and sleep disturbance.
Some of the major causes of obesity
Psychology of being fat or obese
We are all guilty to some extent of eating for reasons other than because we are hungry. We eat because we are stressed, angry, annoyed, stressed again, partying, and just to fit in. Probably the worst culprit is stress. Most of us suffer from relatively high levels of chronic stress from work, kids, partner, or the universe in general. With stress, the body produces more cortisol. Your appetite increases, and most likely you’re craving for high calorie sweets and fats. More calorie intake leads to more fat storage in the body.
Overeating: Both taking more quantity of carbohydrates of fats
Hypothyroid problem: Results slow metabolism
Genetic reason: One important genetic factor which has come under increasing research examination over the past ten years or so is the genes involved in the regulation of leptin within the body
Leptin, which takes its name from the Greek word leptos meaning thin, was discovered in 1994 and is associated with the Ob(lep) gene [Ob – obesity, lep – leptin] which is located on chromosome 7 in human beings. In somewhat simplified terms leptin is a protein hormone produced by fat cells which enters the blood stream and travels to the brain, where a high level of leptin in the blood tells the brain that you have sufficient energy reserves or that your energy reserves are too high and that the body needs to burn off some fat. In essence therefore leptin plays an important role in regulating both appetite and metabolism.In obese people levels of leptin found in the blood are normally very high and more than sufficient to suppress the appetite and increase the metabolism. This however does not happen and it is believed that obesity may be the result of a resistance to leptin, (reason not known researches are going on) in much the same way that people suffering from Type II diabetes are resistant to insulin.
Few simple and most effective medicines for reducing extra body fat
Medicines
Anti-obesity medicines’ Xenical.’It is an oral prescription pill, which is used for treatment of obesity. It can help you lose 50% more weight than dieting alone.
Ingredients of Xenical
Active ingredient of Xenical is orlistat. It does not affect your diet but works by reducing the ability of your body to absorb fats from food .Xenical reduces fat absorption in the body by one third. This can also lower the amount of vitamins absorbed by the body including vitamins A, D, E and K, which are fat-soluble vitamins. Doctors usually prescribe supplements with Xenical medication to make up for the loss of important vitamins along with fats.
Who can take Xenical?
If, the person is truly obese or overweight with certain medical conditions. People with BMI 27 kg/m2 to 30 kg/m2 or and suffer from other risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or increased serum cholesterol. Doctor says that Xenical is a powerful motivator and can produce effective results if you complement it with healthy low-fat diet and increased exercise
Phentermine is another name in the weight loss drug market. It is a powerful appetite suppressant. In obesity, an appetite suppressant can do what a rigorous fitness program cannot .Phentermine stimulates hypothalamus and certain neuro-transmitters which does not allow to generate uncontrolled urged for food.
Dietary aspect
-Regular intake of fiber foods including fruits, green vegetables etc.
-Consume more juicy fruits
– Avoid oily and fast foods (burger, pizzas, hotdogs etc.).
– Non-Vegetarian should be used in white meat (like fishes).
-Take a mile walk after lunch or dinner
– Don’t take irregular meals (a mild food intake before lunch or dinner)
— Avoid too much table sugar intake (in tea, coffee & candies etc.)
Filtered / light food oils used should be used for cooking purposes (i.e. less cholesterol) for this soybean oil is the best.
– Usage of boiled food should be implemented in spite of fried foods.
– Drink a lot of water to overcome the digestive problems as the indigestion is one of the ultimate cause of obesity.
Adequate sleep
During sleep your body produces the feel good hormones – serotonin and dopamine which reduce stress. Brain transmitter chemicals (serotonin and dopamine): Serotonin reduce appetite dopamine increase appetite if your body is not getting enough serotonin, it craves for sugary foods which result excess of eating
Exercise
Low intensity aerobics: – With high intensity aerobic exercise carbohydrates can supply 90% or more of body energy. The low intensity aerobic exercise increase loss of body fat. These exercises allow the body to use more fat as energy source & hastening the loss of body fat. Indeed the body used higher percentage of fat for energy at lower exercise intensities. However the total calorie expended by the body and use of the fat does not change. High activity aerobic exercise which leaves you breathless also produces levels of serotonin. This is not to say that active people have no stress – just which it’s normally kept at more manageable levels. The patients should be motivated to do physical activities for all day of week for 60 minutes each day. The patients should be motivated to do physical activities for all day of week for 60 minutes each day.
Exercise alone without dietary restrictions has no success
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