Obesity

What is obesity?

The definition of overweight or obese varies depend  how we see it but in general, obesity is excess body fat experienced by a person in chronic. In normal conditions, body fat serves as an energy reserve, regulator of body temperature, protection from trauma and other functions.

Ideally, the body of a woman consists of 25-30% fat whereas in men 18-23%. When body fat exceeds 30% in women and 25% in men then that person could be categorized overweight or obese. How to calculate obesity is the most convenient way is to compare the height (kg) with weight (m) or known as the Body Mass Index (BMI).

What are the risk factors associated with obesity?

In addition to cosmetic problem, obesity is a very serious health problems. In America there, 300,000 deaths per year caused by obesity factor. Obesity can lead to some very serious chronic illnesses such as:
    - Insulin Resistance. Insulin in the body are useful to deliver glucose to fuel the formation of energy into the cell. By moving glucose into the cells then insulin will keep blood sugar levels to normal levels. In obese people there is a high accumulation of fat in the body, while fat is highly resistant to insulin. Thus, to deliver glucose into fat cells and keep blood sugar levels remain normal, the pancreas produces insulin as insulin plant in significant amounts. Eventually, the pancreas can no longer produce insulin in large numbers so that blood sugar levels gradually rose and there was what is called Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
   -  High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). Hypertension is very common in obese people. Researchers in Norway say that the increase in blood pressure in obese women more apt to occur when compared with obese men. Increased blood pressure is also apt to occur in obese people the type of apple (central obesity, the concentration of fat in the abdomen) when compared with those who are obese type pear fruit (the concentration of fat in the hips and thighs).
    - Increased levels of cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia).
   -  Stroke.
    - Heart Attack. Recent research has shown that the risk of coronary heart disease in obese people three to four times higher when compared with normal people. Every increase of 1 kilogram of body weight for increasing the death occurred due to coronary heart disease as much as 1%.
   -  Heart Failure.
   -  Cancer. Although controversy remains, some studies say that there is an increased risk of colon cancer, prostate, bladder and cervical cancer in obese people. In menopausal women who have been prone to breast cancer.
    - Gall stones.
    - Arthritis (Gout).
   -  Osteoporosis.
    - Sleep Disorders.

What causes obesity?

The balance between calorie intake with energy expenditure to maintain the balance of a person's weight. If someone takes a lot of calories into energy while burning less calories then the backup will be stored as fat which will make the person's weight increases. Most of the causes of obesity are high calorie consumption is not accompanied by adequate physical activity. Some causes of obesity are:
Heredity (genetics). A child has a tendency to be obese if both parents obese. Genetics also plays a role in influencing the function of hormones that regulate the body's fatty.

1.       Too much eating. Too much food will cause weight gain, especially if the food consumed lots of fat and sugar such as fast foods, fried foods and sweets.

2.        Consumption of foods containing simple carbohydrates. The experts argue, simple carbohydrates like sugar, fructose, soft drinks, beer, and wine will lead to weight gain because carbohydrate type is more easily absorbed by the body.

3.        Frequency of eating. Relationship meal frequency and weight gain is controversial. Experts say that people who eat small amounts with a frequency of 4-5 times a day have cholesterol and blood sugar levels are lower when compared with those who ate less than that frequency.

4.        Slow metabolism. Women have less muscle mass than men. Muscles burn more calories than other body tissues, so that your metabolism is much slower in women than men. This will cause women have a tendency easier obese when compared with men.

5.        Lack of physical activity. People who are active activity will burn more calories when compared with those who sit idle,

6.        Medicines. Some drugs associated with weight gain among other things, the anti-depressant, anti-seizure drugs, diabetes drugs, oral contraceptives, corticosteroid drugs and some blood pressure-lowering drugs.

7.        Psychological factors. In some people, emotions influence eating habits. There are people who suddenly want to eat a lot when you're emotional. And if later on increased weight would cause other psychological problems.

8.        Disease. Some diseases that can increase body weight, among others, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, PCO, and Cushing's syndrome.

Whether other factors associated with obesity?

Here are some other factors associated with obesity in addition to some of the things I mentioned above.

v  Ras. Blacks and Hispanic people have a tendency more easily become obese when ompared with Caucasian and Asian people.

v   Weight as children. Childhood obesity in children and adolescents also affect the occurrence of obesity in adulthood.

v   Hormones. Women are more easily fat due to pregnancy, menopause and while taking oral contraceptives.

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