A person is considered obese when the weight is higher than a healthy weight for a given height. Overweight and obesity are described as abnormal or excessive fat expansion that presents a health risk. Generally, a body mass index - BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and those over 30 are overweight individuals.
Obesity is a complex disease concerning an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity isn't just a decorative problem. It's a medical concern that increases the risk of other fetal disorders, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancers.
The better news is that modest weight loss can improve or control the health problems associated with obesity. A healthy diet improves physical activity, and behavior changes can help fat people or chubby people to lose weight.
Classification of a Persons' Obesity According to Body Mass Index?
Follow the BMI chart, and you can understand your obesity.
Causes Of Obesity
Eating more calories than you burn and less exercising in the long term can lead to obesity. If you continue taking extra calories can make you overweight.
However, it's not always about calories in, calories burn out, or leading a sedentary work or lifestyle.
Common causes of obesity are
- Genetics- Affect how your body develops food into energy and how fat is kept.
- Aging- which can direct in less muscle mass and a deliberate metabolic rate. That makes it easier to turn into a chubby person and gain excess weight.
- Sleeplessness- Sleep less stress more leads to hormonal transformations that make you feel more hungry and crave certain high-calorie foods like sugary items.
- Pregnancy- Overweight gain in pregnancy may be challenging to lose after pregnancy. Which eventually leads to obesity.
Some Other Causes
Certain other health problems can also lead to weight gain,
- Polycystic ovary syndrome - a state where there is an imbalance of female reproductive hormones.
- Hyperphagia- a feeling of extreme, insatiable hunger.
- Prader-Willi syndrome - a rare birth disorder that causes extreme hunger.
- Cushing syndrome- a condition that can lead to high blood glucose due to stress hormones in your system.
- Hypothyroidism - an underactive thyroid - a condition in which the thyroid gland can't produce enough essential hormones.
Risk Factors Of Obesity
Obesity doesn't mean only being overweight. Obesity increases numerous health problems.
Body fat provides strain on the bones and the internal organs because it increases the ratio of fat to muscle.
Some common obesity-related complications are given below that can risk your life:
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High Blood Pressure
- Breast Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Endometrial Cancer
- Sudden Stroke
- Gallbladder disease
- Fatty liver disease
- High cholesterol
- Sleep apnea or stop breathing while sleeping.
- Arthritis
- Infertility
Prevention Way Of Obesity
Specific diet plans, more physical activity, or lifestyle rules can help fat people control their fat or weight unless they have some lifetime birth disease.
Take less bad fat
Expel bad fats from your daily dietary regimen. Intake of dietary fats, such as polyunsaturated fats, can improve healthy cholesterol levels and reduce obesity risk.
Intake Less processed and sugary foods
As per the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, less consumption of processed foods is linked to a lower risk of obesity. Most processed foods are high in fat, salt, and sugar, which can promote overeating.
Eat more vegetables and fruits
Fill your plate with veggies and fruits. More intake of vegetables will help you to reduce weight and the risk of obesity.
Take plenty of dietary fiber
Dietary fiber plays a vital role in weight maintenance. People who take plenty of fiber can lose weight more easily and quickly than others.
Social Support
Control obesity is not an easy job. Your family and friends need to support you in this journey. When your family members and friends support you in eating healthy food and discourage taking junk food, then you will feel more positive about achieving the target.
Physical Activity
Regular walking, swimming, running, and playing outside will make your body active and fit. Remember sedentary lifestyle is one of the main reasons for obesity.
Reduce Stress
Stress may activate the brain's behavior, change eating habits, and leads to cravings for high-calorie foods like sugar, chocolate, and fast food. Eating too many high-calorie foods can lead to the development of obesity.
Obesity And Disability
There are many reasons behind the difficulty of losing weight. Usually, obesity results from inherited, physiological and environmental factors connected with diet, physical activity, and exercise options.
But obesity sometimes leads you to difficulty doing daily activities. Does this difficulty refer to actual disability? Or overweight or obese doesn't mean that you are disabled. What are the laws and medical theories saying? Are they doing disability discrimination?
According to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, extreme obesity does not qualify as a physical impairment under the ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act, provided there is no underlying physiological disorder or condition.
There is an argument that Morbid obesity clearly falls outside the "normal range" of weight and that if obesity substantially limits major life activity, it should be considered a disability. Generally, Morbid obesity is defined as anyone with a BMI over 40. But federal courts don't recognize obesity as a perceived disability and deny disability benefits for them.
Due to excessive body fat, the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers obesity a complex and chronic condition. According to the ADA, a person who has a disability most likely they have a physical or mental impairment or both that limits major life activities.
If you are morbidly obese, that won't qualify you for disability benefits. You must show your obesity leads to severe health conditions in the SSA's special set of rules. Or you have to prove with your medical records that your obesity makes you unable to work.
You must gather all your medical evidence, expert testimony from doctors, and work history to prove to the judge that you are not able to work because of your obesity. Although an obesity diagnosis alone is not enough to qualify for disability benefits, there are circumstances under which an obese person may meet Social Security disability medical eligibility requirements.
Basically, the SSA will inquire about your obesity to see if your situation makes you unable to work or not. If so, you should be eligible for disability benefits. The SSA will assess your RFC- residual functional capacity and what type of work you can do.
Obesity can create other impairment in a person's ability to function, which the SSA would include in your RFC. Depending on where on the body the excessive fat is carried.
Suppose obesity causes an individual to be unable to walk effectively; the individual's condition could "equal" the impairment listing for major dysfunction of weight-bearing joint problems which is an impairment-level listing.
How To Deal With Obesity?
Some quick tips are given below that can help you to reduce overweight.
- Breakfast is a must. Do not skip it.
- Eat regular and healthy meals.
- Eat plenty of fruit and veg.
- Exercise regularly.
- Hydrate the body, and drink plenty of water.
- Eat high-fiber foods.
- Use a smaller plate.
- Avoid processed and sugary food.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Stop taking drugs.
- Burn fats through exercise
Frequently Asked Question
Question 1- what is considered morbidly obese?
Answer 1: In order to qualify as clinically severe or morbid obesity, a patient must have a BMI of 35-39.9 with at least one severe medical condition or a BMI of 40 or higher.
Question 2: Is adiposity the same as obesity?
Answer 2: Adiposity is a Latin term. It means severe or morbid overweight. In English, usually, this term is used as obesity. Both can refer as overweight.
Question 3 - does inflammation cause weight gain?
Answer 3: Inflammation damages the body's ability to process insulin, which leads to higher glucose levels. Higher glucose levels can further damage insulin resistance.
Question 4: What is hyperphagia?
Answer 4- Polyphagia or hyperphagia is a feeling of extreme hunger or insatiable hunger. It's a common sign of diabetes but can lead to other medical causes, such as hyperthyroidism and atypical depression.
Question 5: What is the crushing syndrome diet?
Answer 5: Crushing Syndrome diet means focusing on the diet that can help you to maintain your glucose level. Cushing syndrome can cause high blood glucose levels, so limit the foods that cause blood sugar levels to rise. The following foods are examples of those you should focus on eating: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish.
Question 6: When does Obesity a Disability under the ADA?
Answer 6: Although extreme obesity is not considered a disability by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there is no evidence that it is generated by an underlying physiological condition or disorder.
Question 7: Which impairments are associated with obesity?
Answer 7 - Obesity is often associated with musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, and endocrine disorders.
Final Thoughts
It makes it difficult to maintain an active lifestyle and may even prevent movement if body weight reaches a level where the strain on joints, breathing, and heart and lung function is severe.
Obesity is a common health problem identified as having a high level of body fat.
Over the decades, obesity has become a considerable health problem. In fact, it's now considered to be an epidemic in the United States.
As per the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a large percentage of the population, roughly 93.3 million adults in the United States are obese.
Despite the increasing percentages, many ways exist to prevent obesity in kids and adults.