Obesity

 Obesity and overweight have in the last decade become a global problem.

Obesity is a condition where a person has accumulated so much body fat that it might have a negative effect on their health. Obesity increases the risk of many diseases. According to state of Victoria(2017), Obesity and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers and diabetes are now the world’s biggest killers, causing an estimated 35 million deaths each year, 60% of all deaths globally, with 80% in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this report is to provide information about obesity. It will first look at symptoms, then causes, treatment and prevent of obesity.

Symptoms

 The signs of overweight and obesity include a high body mass index (BMI) and an unhealthy body fat distribution that can be estimated by measuring your waist circumference. Obesity can cause complications in many parts of your body.  There are many symptom of obesity. Some of the most common reason for obesity are:

·         Genetic influences: your genetic makeup plays a significant role in your chances of becoming obese.

·         Life style: if you lead a sedentary life style, you are a higher risk of becoming obese.

·         Pregnancy: pregnancy can contribute to obesity.

Another symptoms of obesity are:

·         Breathlessness

·         Increasing sweaty

·         Snoring

Obesity increases your risk for:

·         High blood pressure

·         High blood sugar (diabetes)

·         High cholesterol

In man, excessive fat stores tend to accumulate in the waist.in women, extra fat is often stored in hips and thighs. A significant increase in appetite is possible symptom of weight gain.

Causes

Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. Obesity occur when the body consume high amount of energy particularly fat and sugar, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, energy will be stored by the body as fat. Obesity does not happen overnight. It develops gradually over time, as a result of poor diet and life style choices such as:

·         Eating fast food

·         Drinking too much alcohol

·         Eating a lot

·         Eating larger proteins than you need

·         Drinking too many sugar drink

·         Lack of sleep

• Lack of physical activity is another important factor related to obesity. Many people have jobs that involve sitting at a desk for most of the day. They also rely on cars, rather walking or cycling. “Many people eat excessively in response to emotions such as boredom, sadness, stress or anger. While most overweight people have no more psychological disturbances than normal weight people, about 30% of the people who seek treatment for serious weight problems have difficulties with binge eating”(Balentine 1996-2017).

Treatment

The best way to achieve this is to swap unhealthy and high energy food choices, such as fast food and sugar drinks to healthier choices. Try to avoid foods containing high levels of salt because they can be raise your blood pressure, which can be dangerous for people who already obese. A healthy diet should consist of:

·         Plenty of fruit and vegetable

·         Some milk and dairy foods

Physical activity also has a wider health benefits. It can help prevent and manage more than 20 conditions, such as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by 40%( NHS choices 2016).

·         Brisk walking

·         Cycling

·         Swimming

·         Running

Prevention

Not surprisingly, the steps to prevent weight gain are the same as the steps to lose weight. Daily activities, a healthy diet, and a long term commitment to watch what you eat and drink. There are some important thing that can help to prevent the weight, such as:

·         Exercise regularly, you need to get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to prevent weight gain. Moderately intense physical activities include fast walking and swimming (MAYO CLINIC 1998-2017).

·         Follow a healthy eating plan. Focus on low calories, such as fruits and vegetables

·         Know and avoid the food traps that cause you to eat

·         Be consistent, sicking to your healthy weight plan during the week or in the weekend.