Obesity

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Brief description of the disease

Obesity is a disease characterized by excess fat deposition in the body. Obesity can be either an independent disease or one of the syndromes of another disease.

Obesity reasons

The most common causes of obesity include: improper diet, lack of physical activity, high calorie intake of food.

A certain role is played by heredity and genetic predisposition, the discrepancy between energy inputs and costs in the body, the use of improper diets, stressful situations. Also, the cause of obesity can be certain physiological conditions, such as pregnancy, menopause, breastfeeding.

Obesity

There are three degrees of obesity. You can determine if you are overweight using your body mass index. The calculation formula is quite simple: you need to divide the actual weight in kilograms by your height (in meters) squared. A mass index ranging from 18.5 to 24.5 determines the normal weight of a person. The first degree is characterized by a body mass index from 30 to 35. In the second degree of obesity, the mass index is 35-40 units. The actual value of the index above forty determines the third degree of obesity.

Obesity symptoms

The higher the degree of obesity, the more pronounced the symptoms of the disease. The first degree can be almost asymptomatic, but the second and third have quite pronounced symptoms. These include increased appetite, drowsiness, weakness, sudden changes or worsening of mood, nausea, shortness of breath, a bitter taste in the mouth, pain in the spine and joints, thirst, and increased blood pressure.

An obese person may experience increased hunger during the night hours and in the afternoon. The consequences of the disease can be infertility and disruption of the normal menstrual cycle in women, decreased potency in men.

Obesity types

Alimentary-constitutional obesity occurs due to overeating, low physical activity, nutritional disorders, often observed in members of the same family.

Hypothalamic obesity occurs due to damage to the hypothalamic centers of regulation. It can occur as a result of surgery or traumatic brain injury, various infections and intoxications.

Endocrine obesity occurs as one of the symptoms of endocrine gland pathology.

Obesity in children

A child's body weight that is 15% or more above normal is considered obese.

The main treatment for obesity in children is to adjust the diet and increase physical activity.

In childhood, drugs for the treatment of excess weight are not used.

The most high-calorie meals should be offered to the baby in the first half of the day; after lunch, it is advisable to give vegetable and dairy dishes. It is necessary to feed the baby at the same time, without allowing long breaks between feedings. Meals should be fractional, up to six times a day, the amount of food per feeding should correspond to the age needs of the child. Preference should be given to lean meats and fish, vegetables and fruits. It is necessary to exclude from the diet dishes and foods containing complex carbohydrates and a large amount of fat: white bread, buns, pastries, condensed milk, semolina, jam, etc.

Obesity treatment

The treatment of obesity must be approached comprehensively and prudently. It must be understood that such treatment is a long process. In order to consolidate the result obtained and not return the extra pounds in double quantities, it is necessary to choose the correct therapeutic diet and physical activity. Drug treatment is also used.

The obesity diet was developed back in 1937 and is now known as table # 8. Meals - 5-6 times a day. This diet for obesity involves the use of 150 grams of carbohydrates, from 90 to 110 grams of protein, 80-85 grams of fat, 30% of them should be of plant origin, 5-6 grams of salt and up to 1.2 liters of liquid. The calorie content of such a diet is about 1700-1800 kcal.

Correctly selected physical activity and an increase in physical activity provide real help in the fight against excess weight. It must be remembered that physical activity should be normalized and performed taking into account the state of human health.

As for drug therapy, it is possible to use only proven and officially approved drugs to combat obesity. These include drugs that target the hunger and satiety center and drugs that block the absorption of dietary fats. Any medication for the treatment of obesity should only be prescribed by a doctor.

The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!