World Obesity Day 2023: How to Stay Fit

Hyderabad: Obesity is a problem that plagues millions of people around the world. Body weight gain as a result of modern lifestyle is seen in all economic groups irrespective of age. Excess body weight is a medical problem. Uncontrolled obesity has a negative effect on various organs of the body and causes serious illness. Reducing life expectancy. Obesity and severity are estimated based on BMI (Body Mass Index), which is calculated based on the person's height and body weight. B.M.I. 25 kg/m2 to 30 kg/m2 is considered overweight. If it exceeds 30kg/m2, it is considered obese.

Speaking on World Obesity day, Dr. Sandeep Reddy, Senior Endocrinologist, Kamineni Hospitals said, “ It is estimated that around 135 million people in India are affected by obesity and overweight. This represents a significant increase from previous years and is largely attributed to changing lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of physical activity. Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity in India, particularly in urban areas. It is expected that around 31% of urban Indians are overweight or obese, while the figure for rural areas is lower at around 12%.”

Obesity is a major risk factor for a range of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. In India, these conditions are becoming increasingly prevalent, with an estimated 77 million people living with diabetes and around 50 million people affected by cardiovascular disease” Dr. Sandeep added.

Due to genetic reasons, Indians are more prone to obesity due to the large amount of fat around the waist. In addition to this, some factors related to lifestyle have also been found to increase body weight excessively. These are: consuming food that provides more calories than needed, lack of physical activity, endocrine disorders (diseases of the endocrine glands), mental illnesses, and certain types of drugs. Dietary habits, lack of adequate sleep, and heavy reliance on vehicles also contribute to weight gain.

The first thing to do is to make sure that the physical activity is enough to burn more calories than the food intake. For this, exercise, a low-calorie diet, and the use of weight loss drugs should be done. If these efforts are unsuccessful and obesity persists, weight loss surgery may be recommended. Surgeries have been shown to give good results in reducing excess stubborn body weight. Obese people have been able to reduce their weight significantly with these operations. By making some changes in the digestive system, these surgeries limit the calories we get through food. Reducing the calories from this kind of food can be the real solution to all kinds of problems of excess body weight. Therefore, opting for bariatric surgery can help you get rid of excess body weight.