Is Obesity A Disease? How Is It Treated?

A healthy body and mind are crucial to living a good life. A healthy body and mind are achievable with a proper diet, regular exercise, meditation, physical activity, and mental exercises. Our food, after digestion, is absorbed in the body, which is used as fuel. The extra energy is stored as fat in the body for later. When this fat increases and surpasses the range of body fat considered healthy and poses health risks, the condition is called obesity.

Is obesity a disease? Some people call obesity a disease, while others consider it a body disorder due to poor lifestyle habits and binge eating. But it is a complex disorder involving excessive fat accumulation in the body. Other diseases that tag along with obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers. This medical emergency increases the risk of various other health issues and can make anyone a heart patient in the long run.

Once the body fat crosses the healthy range, losing weight becomes difficult for various reasons. Sometimes, obesity is transferred genetically or due to physiological and environmental factors. Your lifestyle routine, eating habits, and physical activity choices are additional factors that define your body weight and can often lead to obesity.

But weight loss is not impossible, and the fitness industry, along with the healthcare industry, provides multiple solutions that treat obesity in the best possible ways.

How Does Obesity Affect the Body, and What Can You Do About It?

Our food is the source of body energy that helps carry out various body functions. But when the fat accumulation in the body increases and becomes risky for the body, obesity occurs. The condition is highly linked to multiple health risks and illnesses compromising your living standards. The Body Mass Index (BMI) for Obesity is between 25 to 30. Individuals who surpasses the healthier range of 18.5 to 24.9 are considered obese.

Obesity increases the risk of several severe diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. It does this through various pathways or changes and alters normal body functions. It messes with the production and secretion of hormones and changes the metabolism to cause multiple health conditions and problems.

Physical exercise, a balanced diet, and monitoring your health conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, are vital to reduce excess weight and living healthier lives. The good news is that even a slight reduction of body fat can improve and prevent health risks that are a result of obesity.

A more nutritious diet increases physical activity and behavior changes, like eating fewer carbs and making portions. Prescription medications and weight-loss procedures are additional options for treating obesity.

Obesity: Causes, Risk Factors, Preventions, and Other Aspects

Let’s dive into the causes, risk factors, preventions, etc., for obesity and uncover all the necessary aspects:

Causes

There are various causes of obesity, and we will try to cover all the major ones in this blog. Firstly, our genetic makeup plays a great role in deciding our physiological appearance and body structure. Other factors that can cause obesity include behavioral, metabolic, and hormonal patterns. Some abnormal hormonal secretions can lead to uncontrolled fat accumulation in the body. Another reason for obesity is your lifestyle choices; you overeat or do not indulge in physical activity. When an individual’s calorie intake is more than their expenditure, obesity can occur. Obese people might eat more calories before feeling full.

Moreover, they feel hungry sooner or eat more due to stress or anxiety. Even daily activities use fewer calories. Using an elevator instead of stairs or simply avoiding being physically active can lead to obesity.

Risk factors

Obesity usually results when causes are trigged by certain risk factors contributing to its faster occurrence. Some of these risk factors include:

Family inheritance and influences

As we have previously discussed, genes you inherit from your parents may affect your body structure. What your height will be or how much body fat you will normally store are some traits that are transferred inherently. Genetics may influence obesity and affect how your body stores fat and converts it into energy. It also decides how your body regulates your appetite and how your body burns calories during exercise. Since family eating habits are also behavioral adaptations that people unknowingly include in their lives, these can also be a common risk factor leading to obesity.

Lifestyle choices

Some lifestyle choices that can lead to obesity or increase its risk include unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity, mindless munching habits, fast food consumption, unbalanced calorie intake, lack of healthier food items (fruits and vegetables), etc., are some of the reasons that back obesity. Consuming a higher amount of calories through fizzy drinks and juices is another reason for fat accumulation and an increase in blood sugar.

People can drink many calories without feeling satisfied and eat more than they should. Moreover, if you are a lazy and inactive person and love to eat, you are destined to become fat or get any chronic illness that leads to obesity. Thus, understanding the importance of an active life is crucial in fighting excess weight.

Certain Drugs and Medicines

A healthy life is a blessing that not many enjoy. People suffer from various diseases, health risks, and illnesses for which they take multiple medicines. Sometimes, the drugs can cause potential side effects. Obesity is one of the most common side effects of drugs and can lead to frequent weight gain.

Lack of sleep

Irregular sleep cycles, insomnia, and hypersomnia are both harmful situations that can lead to weight gain and fat accumulation. Not getting enough sleep or sleeping too much irregularly can activate fat storage in the body and cause obesity. This way, your food remains undigested for longer, and absorption occurs at a fast level.

Is obesity a disease or a health condition that increases the risks of other diseases? It is a full debate. But we surely know that this condition holds its negative impacts and should be timely addressed.