Introduction
While BMI (Body Mass Index) crosses the boundary of 25, it is defined as an overweight condition. And if BMI reaches 30 or more 30, it is called Obesity. Moreover, if the BMI range exceeds 40, then doctors define the condition as the severity phase of Obesity, which is also termed 'Morbid Obesity'.
Today, different factors such as dependency on junk foods, the trend of sedentary lifestyles, and critical health conditions lead to Obesity worldwide. In the meantime, from 1975 to 2016, obesity cases increased from 4% to 18%. Today, in all cases of Obesity, people experience adverse health issues, which badly affect the rhythm of normal life
What Is Obesity?
Due to the accumulation of excessive fat in the body, while the normal BMI range becomes higher, it leads to a chronic & multifactorial health condition, which is medically termed Obesity. Obesity is a poor health condition that causes acute health crises over time.
Obesity impacts the body's functions negatively, which is the major reason for the multifactorial health crisis. But, in the cases of athletes and bodybuilders, higher BMI is not considered a risk factor for Obesity. Despite having higher BMI, they can live a normal life due to low levels of fat accumulation in the body. According to human anatomy, muscle weight is higher than fat. So, athletes have higher BMI but do not come under the complications of Obesity.
Types of Obesity:
In the cases of the general population, healthcare professionals define Obesity based on BMI ranges. The following statistics explain in the best way:
- Class 1 Obesity: If your BMI range varies between 30 to 35.
- Class 2 Obesity: If your BMI range varies between 35 to 40
- Class 3 Obesity: If your BMI range crosses 40.
What Is 'Morbid Obesity'?
The term' Morbid Obesity' is used for cases where the body mass index reaches 40+. So, doctors declare class 3 obesity as the 'Morbid' phase of Obesity. As class 3 type obesity leads to serious health complications, the term 'Morbid' is used negatively to represent the severity of the category 3 phase of Obesity.
Symptoms of Obesity:
Today, according to the latest research, obese patients experience many other health-related complications in daily life, along with accumulated excessive body fat. So, an overweight or higher BMI range is a common sign of Obesity. But, people should know all the internal or hidden obesity-related symptoms to prevent their health crisis. As Obesity can lead to life-threatening health crises, you should be familiar with every sign of primary Obesity or morbid Obesity. Take a look at the following points, which explain the disorders & dysfunctions caused by Obesity:
- Obesity Symptoms in Adults:
How Waist Size Hints About Obesity?
Waistline is a major part, indicating whether you have higher risks of obesity-driven health complications. Health professionals state that if a man's waistline expands due to excess fat and reaches up to 40+ inches, then he should be careful about the risks of Obesity. Similarly, when a woman notices her waistline crosses 35 inches, she should consult doctors about her obesity-prone health conditions.
Visceral Fat VS Abdominal Obesity
In general, excessive accumulation of belly fat, which surrounds the internal body organs, including the liver, stomach & intestines, is termed 'Visceral Fat'. As much visceral fat grows in the abdominal cavity, it increases the chances of abdominal Obesity. Abdominal Obesity affects the waist-to-hip ratio, and the growing range of waist-to-hip ratio vividly indicates the complications of Obesity.
How Shortness of Breathing Indicates Obesity?
People with excess visceral fat in their abdomen, neck & chest feel uneasy during breathing freely. Due to excess weight, the muscles in the chest wall can not pull a deep breath quickly. In this condition, the brain's control over the breathing mechanism collapses. As the worst consequence of breathing dysfunction, excess carbon dioxide accumulates in the bloodstream and oxygen levels drop. So, overweight people face shortness of breath, one of the major symptoms of Obesity.
How Stretch Marks Hint Obesity?
When anyone is struggling with an overweight condition, then due to a slow rate of metabolism, skin tears the dermis. As a result, obese patients can experience irritating stretch marks on arms, thighs, breasts & hips. If overweight patients intake high calories or excess amounts of sweets, the collagen layer in the skin is damaged. As a result, the affected skin elasticity leads to brittle skin.
How Do Varicose Veins Indicate Obesity?
The deposit of excess amounts of fat in the body creates pressure, which squeezes the vein's walls. In this condition, the flexibility of the sensitive valves of the body is affected and interrupts the blood flow from the other body parts to the heart. As a result, heightened venous pressure caused by excess fat leads to varicose veins. So, Varicose Veins are one of the major signs of Obesity.
What Is Pediatric Obesity or Childhood Obesity?
Long screen time, sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activities, processed snacks & foods trends, and sweetened drinks have caused Obesogenic environments for children. Today, as the fatal effects of the Obesogenic lifestyle in childhood, children become the victims of Obesity. And the complications of being overweight in childhood are called Pediatric Obesity.
Symptoms of Pediatric Obesity or Childhood Obesity:
Childhood Obesity is becoming a global epidemic day by day. Pediatric Obesity seriously damages the body's organs, which leads to diabetes in youth, and increases the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in later life.
Causes of Obesity:
Extra calorie-driven fat in the body causes critical issues, which leads to Obesity. The following points explain the factors directly behind the complications of overweight & Obesity.
When Body Stores Calories:
According to medical recommendations, healthy adult men require 2,500 calories per day. Similarly, healthy women need 2000 calories per day. In both cases, doctors recommend the calorie range based on regular moderate physical activity.
So, both men & women intake different types of food to complete the per-day basis calorie quota. But, while they don't participate in average activities regularly, the body can not burn calories. As a result, the accumulation of excess calories in the body instigates overweight conditions, gradually leading to Obesity.
Due To The Specific Unhealthy Diet:
Regular diet & healthy lifestyle are interconnected. As quality & quantity of diet play vital roles in nutrition, an unhealthy diet often leads to several health issues related to Obesity.
- Fast Food & Processed Food Cause Obesity:
Chemical additives, color, and sugar in foods affect the coordination between the brain & intestines. Most 'ready to eat' or processed food is loaded with saturated fat, refined flour, oil, sugar, etc. So, if you intake processed foods or junk foods on a long-term basis, you will face a higher BMI, which is responsible for Obesity.
- Avoiding Home-made Food:
Today, people spend very little time cooking in the age of urbanization. So, they prefer ready-to-cook ingredients that do not match the nutrition standard and are also loaded with unhealthy preservatives. So, the body can not receive proper nutrition from food.
Moreover, today, women also make the same efforts in workplaces as men; the nuclear families are habituated to order food from restaurants. As commercial food suppliers need to maintain high-quality ingredients to heighten the taste and color, people unknowingly intake unhealthy food regularly.
So, lack of nutrients & too much unhealthy properties in processed foods & restaurant foods affect the balance of the digestive system. As a result, impaired metabolism leads to obesity symptoms.
- Avoiding Home-made Food:
Today, people spend very little time cooking in the age of urbanization. So, they prefer ready-to-cook ingredients that do not match the nutrition standard and are also loaded with unhealthy preservatives. So, the body can not receive proper nutrition from food.
Moreover, today, women also make the same efforts in workplaces as men; the nuclear families are habituated to order food from restaurants. As commercial food suppliers need to maintain high-quality ingredients to heighten the taste and color, people unknowingly intake unhealthy food regularly.
So, lack of nutrients & too much unhealthy properties in processed foods & restaurant foods affect the balance of the digestive system. As a result, impaired metabolism leads to obesity symptoms.
Medical Factors:
In most cases of 'Morbid Obesity', medical factors instigate the symptoms. The following points explain the crucial medical factors behind Obesity:
- How Thyroid Dysfunction Causes Obesity?
Due to insufficient production of thyroid hormones in the thyroid gland, the body fails to regulate energy expenditure. As a result, underactive thyroid brings severe changes in resting metabolic rate, which affects body weight regulation. Thus, thyroid dysfunction is responsible for Obesity.
- How Cushing's Syndrome Is Responsible For Obesity?
If someone has Cushing's Syndrome, they have to experience a high level of Gluconeogenesis, which causes abnormalities in the Glucose metabolism system. Besides, Cushing's Syndrome also leads to an interruption in the insulin signaling system and a reduction of glucose disposal.
All these complexities affect the metabolic rates of the body. Moreover, Cushing's Syndrome is also responsible for abnormalities in fat redistribution. As a result, the deposit of central adipose tissues becomes a major factor behind Obesity.
Diagnosis of Obesity:
Healthcare professionals execute certain lab tests, which help to evaluate the symptoms of Obesity:
- Tests of Thyroid Function
- Fasting Lipid Panel Test
- Liver function Test
- Fasting Hemoglobin & Glucose Test
Treatments for Obesity:
Losing weight leads to a reduction of BMI, which ensures recovery of obesity complications. So, look at the doctor-recommended criteria's, which will help you make your weight-loss journey successful.
- Essential Dietary Changes
If you are an obese patient, you must restrict your diet. You must stop eating ready-to-eat or processed foods, which contain high amounts of sugar, saturated and trans fat. Instead, you have to focus on a fiber-rich or protein-rich diet. Following a fiber-rich diet, you can control your frequent food craving as fiber makes you full for a long time. Besides, fiber-rich food effectively reduces the complexities of metabolic syndrome. As a result, you will be able to manage a healthy BMI, which reduces the risk factors of Obesity
- Avoid Sedentary Lifestyle
You should know that calorie burning is essential as you can only control your diet sometimes. So, mobility or regular activity is required as your body gets scopes to burn calories. The effective ways to burn calories in your busy schedule are the following: You can enjoy swimming or playing in the gap of your studies, classes or duties in offices.
If you can become habituated to morning walks, burning calories daily will be highly effective. You can opt for stairs to reach your workplaces and avoid elevators to increase mobility or physical activity. It will be helpful enough to reduce your stress.
FAQ
1. Which Food Increases The Chances of Abdominal Obesity?
Research says sweetened beverages, pastries, baked goods, protein bars, processed foods, carbonated drinks, potato chips, white bread, pizza, processed meat such as salami, sausages, and flavored yogurt play crucial roles in increasing the deposit of fats surrounding the abdomen. If you are habituated with these items, you will experience abdominal Obesity.
2. Men VS Women:
Who Are At The Higher Risks of Abdominal Obesity? Based on the different survey reports, abdominal Obesity is found among women more than men. Research claims the release of androgens & estrogens regulate fat distribution & adipocyte differentiation in women's bodies. So, while estrogen hormone levels drop in women's bodies, it increases the risk factors for abdominal Obesity.
3. Are There Any Genetic Factors Behind Abdominal Obesity?
Researchers claim genetic factors are also responsible for metabolic abnormality and Visceral Adiposity among Asian populations. Recent studies show due to genetic similarities, people can experience fatty body structure, specific metabolic syndrome, abnormality in fat deposit and slow rate of fueling. So, abdominal Obesity can be caused by genetic influences also
4. Why Is Abdominal Obesity Dangerous?
The major culprit behind abdominal Obesity is visceral fat, which surrounds abdominal organs, including the liver. Visceral fat is metabolically active.
As a result, visceral fat accumulation leads to the release of harmful fatty acids, inflammatory properties, & specific hormones, which are responsible for a higher level of LDL cholesterol, glucose in the bloodstream, and high blood pressure. Therefore, there is no doubt abdominal Obesity always invites fatal health complications.
5. What Is Hypoventilation Obesity Syndrome?
While people go through specific internal disorders caused by Obesity, they often feel trouble breathing shortness. The reason behind shortness of breath is a specific disorder caused by the excess amount of carbon dioxide and little oxygen in the bloodstream.
The people already living with higher BMI, internal disorders in their bodies heighten the amount of CO2 production while food solids break down into energy. The specific disorder which causes shortness of breath is 'Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome'. So, as a major complication of Obesity - Hypoventilation Obesity Syndrome causes life-threatening issues.
6. How BMR & RMR Are Responsible For Obesity?
BMR stands for - 'Basal Metabolic Rate', and RMR stands for - 'Resting Metabolic Rate'. BMR defines the range of required calories, which fuels the everyday functions in life. RMR defines how many calories the body can burn at resting time.
If your BMI is high, your body will be able to burn more and more energy through activities. Similarly, a high RMR ensures a good energy expenditure system in the body. Therefore, having higher BMR and RMR, you can intake more high-calorie food without increasing BMI(Body Mass Index), measured to check Obesity.
7. How Stress Leads To Obesity?
When the brain confronts chronic stress, it activates the body's responsive system to stress. As a result, Adrenal Cortex releases 'Cortisol', which carries 'High Alerts' in the adrenaline system. Besides, Cortisol instigates the liver to release sugar, as the brain can use glucose to supply fast energy.
As a result, stress-driven Cortisol boosts appetite. In this condition, people start to intake more food when stressed. So, naturally, they gain weight due to stress. On the other hand, people who go through stress often crave starchy & sweet foods, as these foods trigger the release of serotonin, making people feel calmer and reducing the level of the fight-to-fight hormone Cortisol. And there is no doubt that starchy & sweet items increase weight. Therefore, the latest research claims stress is another major factor behind Obesity.
Summary
After going through the points discussed here, you will learn the research-driven facts about Obesity and how to control Obesity to make your lifestyle healthy.