Who is obese?
A person’s weight can be calculated using many types of tests.
According to studies the recommended weight of a person will depend on their
height and age. A person’s weight is considered normal when their BMI is ideal
i.e., their weight to their height and age correlates. A person is considered
overweight if their BMI is 10%-20% higher than normal. A person is deemed to be
obese if their BMI is more than 20% above normal.
Tests to check obesity
There are several tests by which obesity can be diagnosed.
1.
Hydrostatic body fat test.
2.
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
3.
Calipers test
4.
Bioelectrical Impedance, or BIA.
5.
Height/weight charts.
6.
Body mass index.
What Causes Obesity?
People look at a person who is obese and wonder why they don’t do
anything about it. They assume that an obese person eats too much and doesn’t
exercise. That may be true in some cases, but quite often there are other
reasons that could lead to a person being obese. Some of the reasons for
obesity are:
Hereditary
Some people are unfortunate, because obesity
runs in their family and they are already prone to it. They will have to work
twice as hard as other people to keep the weight off. Sometimes they succeed
and sometimes they don’t.
Medical reasons
There is some medical reason why a person is obese. Some of them
area:
·
Thyroid problems
·
Insulin resistance
·
Water retention
·
Gastric problems
Most of these can be helped with the right medication. But this
doesn’t mean that the medication will make the problem go away. Along with the
medication a good exercise and diet program is essential
Depression
It is a well known fact that people who are depressed have eating
disorders. Some may not eat at all, giving rise to other problems. Some binge
and become obese. The only way to treat obesity in this case is to fix the
underlying cause which is depression.
Risks of obesity
People who are obese face a lot of health problem. Some of them
are:
·
High blood pressure
·
Diabetes
·
Heart disease
·
Joint problems
·
Sleep apnea
·
Osteoarthritis
·
Respiratory problems
·
Cancer
·
Metabolic syndrome
·
Psychosocial problems
Some of these are physical problems and some are mental problems
but they all stem from being obese. People who are obese are prone to health
problems as it takes extra effort for the heart to pump blood. The joints of an
obese person has to take many times the weight that it is constructed to take.
This leads to pain and sometimes in severe cases, can even lead to fractures.
The sad part is that after a point, an obese person finds it
difficult to exercise as their body is too big to handle. A person who has
reached that point of obesity needs a full crew of experts to help them lose
weight. This would include a trainer to make an exercise program that the obese
person can handle, a dietician to make sure that they eat right, a doctor to
monitor the health of the person, a counselor or psychiatrist to motivate the
person and advice them. The family of the obese person should also be a part of
this program as the support and encouragement of family is necessary. There are
many medicines and supplements that help, but they should be taken with
supervision.
It is important to recognize that obesity is an illness and should
be treated as such. With the right help, it can be reversed.
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