Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition  in which unnecessary body fat accumulates to the level that it may have an unfavorable effect on health that pave the way to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. A dimension which evaluates and compares weight and height is the Body mass index (BMI).  It classifies people as overweight i.e. pre-obese if their BMI ranges between 25 and 30 kg/m², and classifies as obese when it is more than 30 kg/m². Obesity increases the incidence of various diseases like, Heart problems, Obstructive sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes Mellitus, Osteoarthritis, hypertension, etc.
Causes
Weight gain or obesity is the hallmark of a sedentary lifestyle and intake of too much food energy like fast and junk foods.  Gaining a weight is very easy in contrast to losing it. People spend an indolent life devoid of any exercise. Genetic susceptibility is also responsible while few cases are primarily due to psychiatric illness, due to endocrine disorders, or certain medications. Stress, depression, anxiety, or improper sleep are some of the other factors that can lead to gain of weight.
For most of the women:

ü  Menopause -- during menopause women may gain 12-15 pounds

ü  Not losing the weight that is gained during pregnancy

How You can Loss or Maintain weight?

Diet programs may induce weight loss over the short period, but sustaining and maintaining this weight loss is difficult and often requires exercise and lower food energy diet as a permanent part of a person's lifestyle. Lifestyle changes and dietary changes are effective in restricting excessive weight gain in pregnancy and improve effects and outcomes for both the mother and the child.

Increase the body metabolism can also help. The great way to make your metabolism speedy is to select those foods that facilitate quick digestion such as fiber rich foods. It is also a great to lose weight fast. You need to do certain exercises as well. Your metabolism will become fast if you lift weights or do aerobic exercises. Their combination would be more perfect in increasing the rate of your body metabolism.

There are some drugs that help in lowering extra fat from the body such as:

ü  Orlistat: One medication is widely available and approved for long term use. Its use is associated with high rates of gastrointestinal side effect and concerns have been raised about negative effects on the kidneys.

Two other medications available are:

ü  Lorcaserin brings about loss 3.1 kg weight (3% of the total body mass).

ü  A combination of phentermine and topiramate is also effective.

Several recommended weight loss drugs are available. Many people lose between 5 and 10 pounds by taking these drugs. Even most people also regain the weight when they stop taking the medicine, unless they have made permanent lifestyle changes, like exercising and cutting unhealthy foods from their diet.

The most efficient and effectual treatment for obesity is bariatric surgery. Surgery for severe obesity is concerned with long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality. However, because of its cost and the risk of complications, researchers are searching for other effectual yet less insidious treatments.

Changing Lifestyle
Regular exercise and an active lifestyle with healthy eating are the best methods to lose weight. Even moderate weight loss can improve health. When dieting, the main focus should be to learn healthy and new ways of eating and make them a part of daily routine.
Follow the advices of dietitian and health care provider to set practical daily calorie counts that help to lose weight while staying healthy. If pounds are dropped slowly and gradually, you are more likely to keep them off. The dietitian can teach you about:

·         Sweetened drinks

·         Healthy food choices

·         Portion sizes

·         Healthy snacks

·         New ways to prepare food

·         How to read the nutrition labels

Learn effective and new ways to manage stress, rather than eating. Examples include yoga, meditation or exercise.

References

1.      No evidence that popular slimming supplements facilitate weight loss, new research finds. July 14, 2010. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712103445.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-19.

2.      Curioni C, André C, Veras R; (Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group)  (2006). Weight reduction for primary prevention of stroke in adults with overweight or obesity.

3.      Being underweight poses health risks. Mayo Clinic. Archived from the original on March 4, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070304150801/http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2005-mchi/2796.html. Retrieved January 13, 2007.

4.      De Mello Meirelles, C.; Gomes, P.S.C. (2004). "Acute effects of resistance exercise on energy expenditure: revisiting the impact of the training variables" (pdf). Rev Bras Med Esporte 10: 131–8. http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbme/v10n2/en_a06v10n2.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-06

5.      National Nutrition Survey, Nutrition Divison, National Institue of Health, Govt of Pakistant, Islamabad 2000.

6.      Natl.Acad. of Science.1999. Recommended Dietary Allowances: Reports of Food and Nutrtion Board, Washington, D.C, 7^th Edition.