Obesity. This is when you have too many fats in your body.
Some people think that this can be taken lightly, but the more you ignore that fact you have put on the pounds, the less likely you are to do something about it!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Worldwide obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1975.
In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese.
In this day and age, we have unlimited access to unhealthy foods, and the rapid rise in lazy technology prevents us from doing what we are supposed to be doing: Exercise.
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What are the causes of obesity?
Generally, obesity is caused by eating way beyond our limit, and we do not exercise enough to burn the calories we have consumed.
For example, if you have too much high energy levels from consuming lots of fat and sugar, if you do not exercise to burn off that energy, these will be stored in the body as fat.
It’s in the genes
This is one factor that we have no control over. It can be your genetic makeup or maybe a rare genetic condition like Prader-Willi syndrome that can cause your weight to go overboard.
However, other than that, obesity is commonly caused by other factors.
Too many calories
A calorie is the energy value of the food, and excessive calorie consumption and increased portion sizes lead to weight gain.
An average man with an active lifestyle needs about 2,500 calories a day. A woman, on the other hand, who is also active needs 2,000 calories in their diet every day.
This may seem like a scary number, but when we convert it to food, 1,500 will be a regular hamburger with fries and a milkshake.
Unhealthy diet
Remember that obesity is a gradual development.
It will not happen overnight. The changes will be because of a poor and an unhealthy diet. Another factor will be your lifestyle choices.
This will include your fondness in fast foods that are high in fat and sugar content, too much alcohol, eating more than what you need, carbonated drinks, and even comfort eating.
All of these are just some of the factors that can affect your diet.
Lack of exercise and other physical activities
When you sit at work all day and rely on elevators and your car, then you will not be burning any calories. This is one of the factors that play a significant role in obesity.
Since you are consuming too much unhealthy food, the energy in this food that will not be burned by the body and will ultimately be converted into body fat.
The RISKS of being obese
Obesity can affect your health and well being in a myriad of ways. Obese adults have an increased risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, and even cancer.
Adult obesity is also associated with kidney problems, sleep apnea, or fatty liver. This is why we should never take our health for granted.
Make a change today!
The change will start with you. No one can tell you to lose weight when you personally don’t believe that you can and if you don’t see the importance of doing so.
There are many inspirational stories that we find in our social media sites, too many videos are shared to entice obese people to move and lose those pounds. So here are helpful tips for obesity prevention.
- Change Your Eating Habits– Cut on out greasy, fatty foods and monitor your food intake. Make it a habit to maintain a healthy meal plan. This may difficult for busy individuals, but it takes a little effort to achieve great success.
- Exercise Regularly– We hear this advice all the time. Make time to go to the gym. If you can’t, take the stairs instead of using the elevator. If your house is near your workplace, walk! The aim is to schedule some physical activity throughout your day.
- Calculate Your Progress– This is the best way to monitor your progress. Have a target weight, so you know where you are heading. There are plenty of online calculators and trackers to help you do the trick.
Facts about obesity
1) World Health Organization states that obesity is the 5th risk for deaths worldwide.
According to the WHO, over 2.8 million adults die every year as a result of obesity complications. Diabetics at 44%, Ischaemic heart with 23% and 7% to 41% are from cancers as a complication of obesity.
2) The 2017 Medical News Today reports alarming news of the number of American adults who are obese.
In America alone, 1 out of 3 adults is obese. Worldwide, it is believed that the ratio is 1 out of 10 humans are considered obese. Overall, American adults who are obese consist of about 36% of the total population.
3) Gastric Bypass, The GOLD Standard in Bariatric surgery procedures to loss weight!
ASMBS still considers the Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass as the top gastric bypass procedure if the patient wants to lose way without exerting effort.
4) Developing countries rank higher than in developed countries when it comes to the number of obese children.
Over 30 million obese children can be found in developing countries, whereas 10 million obese children live in developed countries.
5) Europe has a very high percentage of childhood obesity.
The recent COSI study conducted by the WHO shows that 19.3% to 49% of boys and also 18.4% to 42.5% of girls live in Europe, specifically in the southern European countries.
You are what you eat
Becoming obese is a gradual thing that can sometimes sneak up on you. This is when you consume too many calories than what your body uses. In short, there is no balance between your calorie intake and the way your body burns fat.
Do not worry! There is a remedy for that. Just put on a game face when it is time to work out and lose those unwanted pounds.
Those with prediabetes tend to carry excess weight around the midsection, also known as visceral fat.
Studies have shown that this type of fat promotes inflammation and insulin resistance, ultimately increasing the risk of prediabetes blooming into type 2 diabetes.
One study of more than 1,000 people with prediabetes found that for every kilogram (2.2 lbs) of weight participants lost, their risk of diabetes reduced by 16%, up to a maximum reduction of 96%.
Nutrition also plays a vital role when it comes to maintaining long term health and well-being.
Some studies have indicated that a plant-based diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, could be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
This is as plant-based diets are high in fiber, antioxidants, and magnesium, all of which have been shown to promote insulin sensitivity.
Changing your diet and regularly exercising is no easy task, especially after a lifetime of bad eating habits and passivity.
However, by making these changes in your life, you will be in control of your long-term health. The time is now. Don’t say you will start next week or even tomorrow. Start making these lifestyle changes today!
