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Health hazards Of Obesity
Obesity, a worldwide
phenomenon, today has surged to become one of the most deadly enemies of
mankind, afflicting mostly the rich and the affluent.
Obese in simple
terms means excess body weight, usually in the absence of an underlying
disease, except in a small number of cases where the condition
originates from hormonal disturbances.
The terms overweight
and
obese are used synonymously by the commoner; however, there is some
difference at the clinical level.
A person can be considered overweight
if his body weight is 10-19 per cent more than the normal or ideal body
weight.
However, when the body weight of a person is 20 per cent or more than
his ideal body weight, he is considered obese. As we have seen
previously, the ideal body weight for a person depends on his height,
sex, age and body frame.
Thus, obesity is a condition of excess body weight and is usually the
result of excess accumulation of fat in the body. When energy intake is
persistently greater than energy expenditure, the result is gradual
accumulation of fat deposits in the adipose tissue depots.
Obesity does
not happen in a day or a week. It is a gradual process taking place at
snails pace when the individual constantly maintains a positive energy
balance. A positive energy balance is usually the result of excessive
energy intake.
High calorie and high fat foods pamper our taste buds to an extent that
most individuals find it difficult to refrain from them in spite of
being aware of their nutrient composition. The ignorant certainly cannot
be blamed.
The other major culprit
is modern urban life mechanization and dependence on different tools has
made life easy and increasingly sedentary.
This has lead to the lowering
of activity levels, of daily energy expenditure and thus of our total
daily caloric needs.
Increased calorie intake due to consumption of
processed foods and decreased activity levels have together taken a
toll, increasing the prevalence of obesity. Sometimes, of course obesity
may also be the result of an interplay of hormones.
Obesity jeopardizes an individuals health in more ways than one. It
imperils both body and mind of an obese individual. An obese individuals
distorted body shape and appearance can be a source both of humiliation
and discomfort.
Many obese people complain of pain in the joints and may
develop arthritis (osteoarthritis)
because they have overburdened their knees and joints with their excess
body weight. This is the most obvious health hazard that obesity
invokes.
Obesity has been
associated with a wide range of health problems. It contributes to
increasing levels of lipids (fat) and cholesterol in the blood (hyperlipidemia
and hypercholesterolemia respectively), leading to narrowing of blood
vessels due to deposition of fatty materials in coronary arteries
(atherosclerosis).
This in turn causes the blood pressure levels to soar
(hypertension) and increases the risk of heart attack (myocardial
infarction) and strokes.
Obesity increases the risk of diabetes because it increases insulin
resistance leading to glucose intolerance. Weight reduction helps many
diabetic patients in controlling their diabetes.
Obesity can also lead
to pregnancy related and surgical complications. Obese individuals are
also more likely to develop cancer.
Certain cancers such as cancers of
the gall
bladder, endometrium, ovary, breasts and cervix in women, and cancers of
the colon and prostate in men have been associated with excess body
weight.
Extreme obesity can also cause respiratory insufficiency
(hypoventilation) and may even result in sudden death during sleep.
Thus, because of its association with several diseases, obesity
decreases life expectancy.
Author: Kevin Pederson
About the author:
Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of natural home remedies
websites which have information on
home based
natural cures and remedies for some of the most common illnesses and
health problems.
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