By Dr AK Srivastava
“Obesity obliterates your beauty and puts your health and life at grave risk.” – ― Ehsan Sehgal
Obesity is a fatal chronic pathological condition that has dangerous effects on our health and longevity. In simple words, it is caused by an excess intake of calories (energy). When our body fails to burn this excess energy, it results in the chronic disorder, obesity. It is a global epidemic that is fast increasing among human beings irrespective of age, gender and place of residence. There are many factors that contribute to this illness: genetic, environmental, food habits and a lack of physical exercise. It is estimated that more than one billion people suffer from this complex and dangerous health hazard.
Obesity is the prime cause of several health issues and illnesses. High blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, cardiovascular issues, type 2 diabetes, digestive complications, different types of cancer, sleep disorders, gynaecological problems, osteoarthritis and insulin desensitisation are some of the prominent problems associated with obesity.
Besides many health issues, obesity seems to be a social stigma and emotional setback causing anxiety, depression and constant mental torture as obese individuals find themselves misfits in many places. They are also a target of ridicule as most of the time insensitive individuals or crowds fail to appreciate their problem and, instead, enjoy their plight.
As stated earlier, there are several causes of obesity. First of all, genes that we inherit from our parents may trigger this issue. Our genes help us convert calories into energy. If they fail to burn calories with appropriate efficiency, fat starts accumulating and we become obese. Our genetic history is partially related to obesity. That is why we often see that siblings in a family are obese. It is also seen that children are obese if their parents are fat. Hormonal disorders may also be related to genetic inheritance.
The second important cause of obesity is our erratic lifestyle. Our food habits play a very crucial role in this issue. Junk food, an oily and spicy diet accompanied by heavy sugar intake, smoking and the frequency of hot and soft drinks in our routine diets. All these things make it very difficult for our bodies to digest our food and convert it into energy. Too much energy means too much fat which makes our body heavy causing bone problems and muscular pain.
Less sleep or a sedentary lifestyle (sitting for many hours in one place) and also oversleeping may contribute to obesity. One needs to do plenty of exercise according to one’s age or as per the doctor’s advice. Long walks for thirty minutes or two to three kilometres can do wonders and a slight decrease in obesity may improve our lifestyle and day-to-day stress that cause depression and anxiety. We sit in our offices or in business establishments for many hours ignoring the fact that body movement is essential for our digestion. This may be our professional compulsion, but it is certainly very detrimental to our health.
Women often experience obesity after pregnancy. It is important to do exercise and maintain dietary restrictions to balance hormones and metabolism.
Obesity can occur at any age. Child obesity is a global problem. Most advanced and developed nations like America and England are also victims of mass child obesity. If appropriate attention is not paid to this problem in childhood, there is a good possibility that children will grow into obese adults and this problem will continue to bother them throughout their lives. It is unfortunate that child obesity has doubled all over the world in the last few years and it is taking the shape of an epidemic. The BMS (body mass index) should be monitored and adequate measures should be taken at the right time so that an obese child does not grow into an obese adolescent.
“Childhood obesity isn’t some simple, discrete issue. There’s no one cause we can pinpoint. There’s no one program we can fund to make it go away. Rather, it’s an issue that touches on every aspect of how we live and how we work.” – Michelle Obama
There is no single remedy that can protect us from getting obese. Plenty of exercise, yoga, long walks, medical intervention, control of food intake according to the advice of doctors and a positive attitude towards life may help with this condition.
Regular and appropriate exercise and lifestyle modifications are crucial for weight management. This may vary from person to person, but thirty to forty minutes of physical activity are essential for everyone. Long walking, yoga and working out in the gym help in burning calories and in maintaining BMI.
Some medication intervention under the supervision of a qualified and experienced doctor can reduce the cravings for food and prevent us from getting fat. In some cases, gastric bypass and bariatric surgery help us to accelerate our metabolism and regulate our hormonal balance.
Our diet should be monitored as per our needs and a doctor should prescribe a low calorie, moderate calorie and very low-calorie diet according to our condition. We should know when and how much food intake is required for us to maintain a good lifestyle. Positive bent of mind and self-confidence also contribute to such a struggle.
Finally, we reach the conclusion that obesity is one of the major health challenges faced by millions of people across the globe. India is no exception in this matter. Recently, the government of India started a campaign in this area and many schemes are being floated by the government to create maximum awareness. The Prime Minister has advised the people to reduce ten percent oil intake in their food habits. He has also talked about this issue in public meetings, TV programmes and his special show “Mann Ki Baat”.
“Many people believe that dealing with overweight and obesity is a personal responsibility. To some degree they are right, but it is also a community responsibility. When there are no safe, accessible places for children to play or adults to walk, jog, or ride a bike, that is a community responsibility”. – David Satcher
(The author is Principal, DAV Intermediate College Dehradun.)
