By Bren Beaney
It seems that obesity is the number one modern disease as we are
always hearing about it in the media, but has it really been around for
decades without us being aware of it. I remember as a child in the 40s
and 50s that older people were always well covered with body weight and
were often very round indeed, and even some children suffered from the
same infliction. These situations were just accepted as 'life.' I
suppose the difference now is life expectancy is greater than the
average 60 or 70 something years of the earlier days, and we have also
become more educated as to the health problems which occur through
obesity. Other factors also enter the equation now such as an easier
lifestyle with technological aids to cut down work, the familiarisation
with the car and entertainment which requires little or no movement on
our part.
Education on nutrition, food intake and guidelines on
calorie requirements for healthy living are widely available but appear
to have done little to address the problem. Are we really all so
arrogant that we are prepared to play Russian Roulette with our lives,
or are we simply confused? For example, I have a very dear life-long
friend who has always been conscientious about eating and exercising
correctly. She is now in her middle age and is suffering from the
overweight problem. She is around 5 feet 8 inches tall, has always had a
robust frame and wide waist even when she was slim, and has increased
from 11 stone in her 20s to 14 stone now. According to the medical
tables she is very overweight or obese and yet the medical tables do not
appear to take into consideration that she has had 4 children, is very
strong and to look at she is not carrying enormous amounts of extra body
weight. She worked hard in the gym exercising for 2 years and never
lost a pound, has dieted carefully and walks at a pace regularly to make
the heart beat, but she still cannot lose the weight. Her doctor admits
she is doing everything right and does not seem to know how to remove
the excess body weight. There are no problems with glands or body organs
not functioning properly and all relative tests have been done and come
back as negative. No wonder she is confused and does not know what to
do next, and how many other people are out there struggling in the same
way?
There is no doubt about it that affluence and the
availability of a massive variety of food play a great part in us being
tempted to eat too much too often. It is far too easy to over indulge
ourselves these days and it needs a lot of self-discipline to avoid the
temptations placed before us. But here are a few facts which may help as
a deterrent since the onus lies on each individual's shoulders to avoid
the obesity disease.
So what does being obese actually mean? It
is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the
extent it has an adverse effect on health. It is a leading preventable
cause of death and is increasing. Malnutrition or poor diet in early
life is believed to play a part in the rising rates of obesity as
endocrinal changes occur during periods of poor diet, which promote
storage of body fat once more food is eaten. In some parts of the world
being obese is seen as a sign of wealth and fertility although in other
parts it carries a stigma. It is caused by a combination of consuming
excessive dietary calories and a lack of exercise. In western society it
seems that most of the extra calories are taken in through carbohydrate
foods rather than fats, and much of these by drinking sweetened
beverages and drinks and fast food. On average obese people expend more
energy than others because so much energy is required to maintain a
larger body mass, which results in more and more food being eaten to
stop the feelings of hunger. Obesity may also be a genetic
susceptibility, although this is rare, and in some cases it can be
caused by endocrinal disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Few
people gain weight through an underactive thyroid or slow metabolism.
So
if you cannot move around easily, bend down without gasping for breath
and you get tired doing simple jobs needing to rest regularly, then you
probably have a big problem. The doctors will tell you to watch your
waist, and recommend that for the average man a healthy waist should be
up to 40" (102cm) and for a woman up to 35" (88cm). You may be told that
you are at risk if the waist measurement exceeds these numbers, but it
must be remembered that other factors such as age, genetic build,
occupation and having children for women may possibly affect the
outcome. 'Remember my friend I mentioned at the beginning of my article?
Even when she was young and slim carrying no excess body weight at all,
her waist measurement was 34". So when she had had her four children,
experiencing the stretched skin syndrome of pregnancy which never really
returns fully to the original shape, she automatically exceeded the
recommended measurement although she was perfectly fit and healthy.
Interestingly a study was carried out recently where a group of
ultra-fit men were measured for BMI and according to the medical charts
every one of them was grossly obese, although it was medically proven
that they were totally healthy in every way.
Obviously if the
waist becomes vastly larger than the chest or hip area then something
needs to be corrected, but it is important not to be too precise and to
consider all factors. Your doctor will measure your BMI (body mass
index) to discover whether you are obese or not, but again it is wise to
regard age and build in the results. As we get older we automatically
increase in excess body weight due to a more sedentary lifestyle and the
body changes shape. It is vital not to let the increase get out of
control by exercising daily and eating less, eating more wholesome foods
which are not easily absorbed into the body such as fruit and
vegetables and whole-wheat products, but still maintaining a healthy
diet. To find out your BMI do the following:-
- Multiply your height number in metres by itself. That gives your height squared.
- Find out your weight in kilograms and divide that number by your height squared.
- The final number is your BMI.
As a comparison for
an adult, a low weight is a BMI less than 18.5. It is just as dangerous
to be too thin as to be too fat. A healthy BMI range is between 18.5
and 24.9, and you are regarded as being a healthy weight. If the BMI is
between 25 and 29.9 you are considered to be overweight and your health
may begin to suffer. If the BMI is 30 or more you will be regarded as
being very overweight or obese and you should try to lose some extra
pounds.
So apart from the discomfort of being obese what is all
the fuss about you may ask. For the state, the cost of dealing with the
resulting problems is enormous. For the individual obesity may lead to a
reduced life expectancy or other health problems for example: - heart
disease or angina, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing
difficulties, abnormal cholesterol levels, vein problems, certain types
of cancer and osteoarthritis. Now if that isn't enough to act as a
deterrent let me give more detail on some further problems of this
horrible disease and how it affects different parts of the body.
Cardiology - the heart. Usually angina.
Endocrine glands - hormones. Diabetes mellitus, polycystic
ovarian syndrome, menstrual disorders, infertility, pregnancy
complications, birth defects and still birth.
Neurology - the brain and nervous system. Stroke, migraines, dementia, intracranial hypertension and multiple sclerosis.
Psychiatry - emotional and mental disorders. Depression in women and social stigmatization.
Dermatology - skin disorders. Stretch marks, lymphedema
(lymph gland disorders), cellulitis, hirsutism (superfluous facial and
body hair in women) and intertrigo (chafing of the skin between the
thighs and armpits).
Gastrointestinal - Digestive tract disorders, fatty liver disease and gallstones.
Oncology - cancers. Breast, ovarian, oesophageal, colon,
liver, pancreatic, gall bladder, stomach, endometrial, cervical,
prostate, kidney, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma (bone
marrow cancer).
Respiratory - Obstructive sleep apnoea, obesity, hypoventilation syndrome, asthma and increased complications during anaesthesia.
If
you are one of the people who are discovered to have obesity, what can
you do about it? First and foremost check your diet. Increase your
activity and walk as much as possible making your heart rate increase
enough to make you sweat a little. You may also need to diet, but it may
be wise to do all of this with your doctor's guidance. Weight loss
programs provide confidence, encouragement and lifestyle changes.
In extreme cases surgery may be necessary but this carries risks of
its own and should only be done as a very last resort. However the best
solution is not to allow yourself to become obese in the first place. Be
aware at an early stage that weight increase is happening and take
control and avoid the horrors of this dreadful disease called obesity.
It
would seem that modern day society has also transferred this terrible
complaint and the desire to eat too much to our treasured pets. It is
found that so many dogs, cats and even rabbits are suffering from
overweight and the affects of obesity. By our over enthusiasm to give
our pets the very best in meals, we are inflicting them with the
prospects of an early death, so it is imperative that everyone gets to
grips with this situation and takes responsible action to avoid a future
catastrophe.
