Obesity is defined as the condition where there is over-accumulation of fat under the skin and around certain organs in the body. It is mostly seen around the midsection, which protrudes out with a characteristic bulge.
The condition of obesity is very easy to diagnose, as the bulge of fat can be seen clearly on the body. But medical science is not so rough in its calculations. There is a reason behind this. Obesity is a very relative disorder. In people with less height, even a moderate weight could be hazardous, but in people with more height, more weight is acceptable. Hence, while diagnosing obesity, only weight is not taken into account. Rather, a particular ratio, known as the Body Mass Index (BMI) is taken into consideration.
Obesity Causes
Obesity may develop from a combination of factors. One key cause is over-eating as the intake of calories (the energy value of food) exceeds the requirements of the body over a long period of time. This excess energy is stored in the body cells in the form of fat and sugar and gives the individual the outward appearance of being overweight
Here is a list of causes that are relevant in our times and important factors one must be wary of to avoid obesity:
Inactive or Sedentary lifestyle
A high glycemic diet. Such as a diet that consists of meals that give high postprandial blood sugar
Weight cycling, caused by repeated attempts to lose weight by dieting
Underlying illness such as hypothyroidism
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 that have nothing to do with hunger. This doesn’t 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.
Symptoms of Obesity
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Obesity includes the 4 symptoms listed below:
Increased weight
Increased BMI
Increased abdominal girth
Secondary medical complications
As described earlier, BMI could be the main diagnosing factor. Calculating BMI can label a person as perfectly fit or over weight. Apart form BMI obese people appear bulky. They get exhaustion even after small physical work. Climbing stairs, running and jogging make them breathless.
Lack of activity, laziness and sluggishness are main symptoms however these also depends on the nature of the person as many lean built personalities do have these factors.
Treatment
Since obesity develops when intake of the food required to produce energy exceeds the amount of energy used in metabolism and in physical activity, the treatment of obesity must alter one or both aspects of the energy stream. The options are to decrease energy intake or to increase energy output, or both. However, the problem does not yield rapidly to either method. Storage fat is meant to protect its bearer from starvation when food is unavailable, and before fat is tapped for energy. In the face of decreased intake of food, the body breaks down muscle to construct the sugar it needs to feed the brain. Much of the early weight loss on a very low calorie diet represents loss of muscle tissue rather than loss of fat. Similarly, fat is not easy to access as fuel for exercise. A person of normal weight (according to one of the charts as described above) has enough body fat to fuel the muscles for days of continuous running, but will collapse long before burning any significant amount fat stored by the body.
Exercise for Obesity Treatment and Prevention
While exercise is often regarded as a primary method of combating obesity, the research record on exercise as an obesity treatment suggests a more subtle role for exercise in generating weight loss. Instead, exercise may hold a more promising role in preventing weight gain, rather than reversing it. However, in spite of the seeming inability of exercise to promote long-term weight loss, exercise can promote cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health, and may be a better predictor of morbidity and mortality than weight status as such. Therefore, exercise can be profitably undertaken by everyone. After a brief overview of major concepts in exercise science, this chapter provides a review of the literature regarding exercise as an obesity treatment/prevention method, exercise and health, and major concepts regarding exercise program initiation and community health promotion.
