Are we aware whether we are obese or not? Obesity has become one of the most pressing public health challenges of today’s generation, affecting millions. According to global health research, obesity is linked to over 224 metabolic and chronic conditions, ranging from diabetes and heart disease to certain types of cancer and infertility.
The fact is that people ignore the slightest changes in their body and small terms like obesity and BMI.
The definition of obesity is an excessive buildup of body fat that triggers a series of additional health issues. The most popular metric for classifying obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI). One is deemed overweight if their body mass index (BMI) is between 23.0 - 24.9 kg/m², and obese if their BMI is ≥25 kg/m². Remember, BMI is just a simple way to estimate body fat for many people. It doesn’t directly measure fat; for instance, a muscular athlete might have a high BMI with low body fat. Therefore, BMI is not always 100% accurate.
What causes obesity?
Obesity is essentially the result of consuming more calories than your body can process. In addition to eating more, your body may take medications, including beta-blockers, steroids, antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, and diabetes meds that can cause weight gain. Overweight can result from eating ultra-processed foods, high-sugar foods and beverages, foods high in saturated fat, and consuming more calories than your body requires. The hormones that regulate hunger can be impacted by genetic predisposition, inactivity, excessive screen time, and sleep deprivation. Stress causes your body and brain to produce more hunger-controlling chemicals like cortisol. It leads to consuming comfort foods or high-calorie foods that are high in fat and sugar, which your body stores as excess fat. Weight gain is a side effect of conditions like metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
The domino effect on metabolic health
Indian people are more likely to develop metabolic problems even at lower BMI levels compared to Western countries. This is because of higher belly fat and genetic factors.
Metabolism is the process your body uses to turn calories into energy. But when you eat more than your body needs, the extra calories get stored as fat. As fat builds up, fat cells grow larger. These enlarged fat cells release chemicals that cause inflammation. This inflammation leads to insulin resistance, which means your body can't properly use insulin to control blood sugar and fat levels. As a result, blood sugar and fat increase, leading to high blood pressure. When several such health problems occur together, it’s called metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is one cause of obesity and also increases the risk of heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and blocked arteries. When there are too many fats (lipids) in your blood, they go to the liver. Extra fat in the liver can lead to liver damage like cirrhosis and long-term inflammation (hepatitis). High cholesterol can also cause cholesterol to build up in the gallbladder, leading to gallstones and other gallbladder issues. Liver disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are among the main causes of chronic kidney disease.
Obesity increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes and early death. But losing just 5–10% of your weight can lower this risk. Extra body fat can press on your lungs and joints, leading to problems like arthritis, asthma, back pain, sleep apnea, and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Obesity also raises the risk of certain cancers (like breast, colorectal, and ovarian), infertility, pregnancy issues, and memory problems, including Alzheimer’s and dementia.
A small amount of weight loss can help deal with illnesses. Therefore,
Consult a doctor for check-ups, and measure your weight.
Follow a healthy lifestyle by adopting a diet plan that avoids processed and sugary foods and is high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Adopt at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week, regardless of age or gender.
Since stress and emotional eating are major contributors to obesity, behavioral treatment and psychological help should be sought if necessary.
(Dr. Manjunath Malige, Director - Diabetes & Endocrinology, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru)
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