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Fitness is a way of life. The right kinds of diet plan blended with a graded exercise schedule are enough to keep your body fit and healthy. But on the contrary bad eating habits like binge eating, overeating or regular intake of junk foods or other high calorie diet and a sedentary lifestyle are enough to take you to the wrong side of body weight.
Putting on some extra weight does not necessarily mean that you have a weight problem. Standing on your bathroom scales won't tell you whether you need to lose weight either, what matters is your Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a way of relating your weight to your height. An ideal BMI is considered to be between 20 and25. If your BMI count proves that you are overweight, a doctor can assess the extent of weight loss to be contemplated. But if your BMI count is 30 or above, it surely sets the danger alarm because it crosses the thin line from overweight to obesity.
Obesity is a chronic medical condition where the natural energy
reserve, stored in the adipose tissue of your body is increased
to a point where it is raises a significant risk factor for certain
health conditions particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes
and hypertension as well as increased mortality. Obesity attributes
its causes to a complex relationship between genetic, psychological,
physiological, metabolic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and cultural
factors
If either or both the parents are obese, the child is likely to
be obese.
Stress, depression and anxiety release hormones which help in the
formation of fat cells and may also activate the drive to eat and
overeat.
Physical disabilities which curtail strenuous physical activities
and medical problems like thyroid malfunctioning may cause obesity.
Lastly, sedentary lifestyle promoted by hi-tech gadgets and lesser
physical work accompanied by consumption of ready-to-eat and junk
foods is the new-age cause for obesity.
Necessary precautions are to be taken to check obesity be it in
childhood, adolesence or in adults. Childhood obesity has become
a serious threat with approximately 30.3 percent of children (ages
6 to 11) being overweight and 15.3 percent obese and may lead to
increased morbidity and mortality in later life. The first step
towards treating obesity is to set a realistic goal for weight loss.
Interventions, such as diet and exercise as well as medication and
obesity surgery in cases of morbid obesity (with a BMI count of
40 and more) are frequently recommended to reduce the risk of developing
disease. Obesity surgery like gastric bypass and bariatric surgery
( stapling stomach to decrease capacity) are used as life saving
measure but it should be considered a treatment of last resort as
it comes with significant side-effects and complications.
Prevent obesity from becoming your life long companion and your
hindrance to fitness; and it is rightly said people who are overweight
don't need to diet; they need to be more active.
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