Disadvantages Of Obesity

Obesity is an accumulation of excess fat and is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. It results in many medical complications.

Obesity – A Dangerous Issue

It is a fast spreading epidemic which shortens the life span and reduces the quality of life. It has affected the children to a great extent. One in every 5 children is noticed to be over weight. They are susceptible to juvenile heart disease, hyper tension, stroke, type II diabetes, osteoarthritis and coronary diseases.

Causes of Weight Gain

Weight gain is due to the intake of excess calories with less physical activity. Initially the fat cells increase in size but after a certain stage, they start multiplying. When the weight decreases, the cells diminish to the normal size while the multiplied cells do not disappear.

Several exterior factors are responsible for weight gain:

· Genes can be one of the major reasons for weight gain.

· Emotion and stress in an individual can result in bad eating habits. They tend to eat more when they are stressed out.

· Lifestyle disorders tend to make them satisfy their hunger pangs in a fast food joint or starve.

· Women are more prone to gain weight because they have fewer muscles than men to burn out calories.

· As we grow older we tend to gain weight rather than develop muscles. Metabolic rate slows down and so the intake of calories has to be reduced.

· Women tend to gain weight after pregnancy. They add 4 to 6 pounds in each pregnancy due to the hormones and reduced physical activity.

Medical Condition and Diagnosis of Body Fat

Certain medical conditions like thyroids, depression and hormonal imbalance can cause weight gain. Some medication like steroids and anti-depressant drugs are prone to add fat. Eating disorders like excessive eating and binging bulimia can cause flabbiness.

A measurement called BMI is used to diagnose obesity. An individual’s weight in pounds is multiplied by 703 and divided by twice the height in inches. A reading of 25.9 to 29 is considered over-weight and above 30 is considered as obese.

The low calorie diet and disciplined lifestyle can tackle the problem. A lot of drugs and surgery are available to reduce weight.