According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), to be healthy; means a state of physical, mental and social well-being. Nutrition is the most basic need for all living things to survive.
What is Obesity? Is obesity a disease? The human body has also been shaped according to these nutritional habits and has adjusted growth and development accordingly.
There are many differences between the energy needed by people who were hunting and gathering in ancient times and the energy needed by people in today's modern life. The more the human body moves, the more energy it needs. This means that today's man is far below the need he felt compared to the man of the past.
In order to achieve this balance, people need to consume less food. The definition of balanced and adequate nutrition is that the amount of energy taken with food and the energy spent are equal, and that the distribution of this energy to macro and micro nutrients is proportional.
Failure to achieve this balance has led to many health problems, especially obesity (excessive obesity). In order to prevent obesity and many acute and chronic diseases it causes, it is very important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet and ideal weight. Among the public, obesity is perceived by some people only as a problem related to appearance. Although the terms "excess weight" and "excessive obesity" are used interchangeably, they do not mean the same medical terms. Weight ranges are determined according to body mass index.
Today, obesity is not considered as a cosmetic problem, but as a complex metabolic disease with long-term adverse effects for more than one organ system. Due to its complex metabolic infrastructure, the application of different diets, which are frequently advertised in different communication channels, may be ineffective and/or harmful to the patient. What is Body Mass Index (BMI)? How to Calculate� �r?
Some body measurements related to obesity are collectively called anthropometric measurements. The most widely known of these is the body mass index. After the body mass index (BMI) is calculated according to the formula below, the range of BMI value of the person is checked.
BMI= Body weight (kg)2 ÷ Height (m)2
BMI Calculator Body mass index Weight status <18.5 Underweight 18.5-24.9 Normal weight 25-29.9 Overweight 30 and above Overweight (obese)
Overweight can also be caused by extra muscle, bone or edema. However, the main source of weight in the body of obese people is fat. Waist circumference (WC) together with BMI gives an indirect idea about body fatness. Fat is stored in certain areas of the body. These areas accumulate around the navel and in the gluteal (buttocks) region. The third measurement is waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the fourth method is waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).
What are the Causes of Obesity?
The most important reason for the emergence of obesity is to move too little and consume too much food. Especially the consumption of foods rich in fat and sugar, the implementation of an unbalanced diet plan even if the energy content is not high, and the lack of physical activity and exercise cause the energy taken to be stored as fat in the body.
A healthy adult man needs an average of 2500 calories a day, and a healthy adult woman needs an average of 2000 calories a day. An average hamburger produced in any fast food chain today is approximately 1500 calories. Likewise, carbonated and alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories. Therefore, frequent consumption of such foods can cause obesity. In addition;
- Lack of physical activity,
- Genetic factors,
- The thyroid gland's inability to produce enough hormones,
- It causes overproduction of steroid hormones. Cushing's Syndrome, which is a major problem, also causes obesity.
Why Is Childhood Obesity an Important Problem?
World Health Organization (WHO) identified as an important public health problem. child obese It is more common in middle- and low-income countries. According to WHO data, the number of overweight children under the age of 5 exceeded 41 million in 2016.
It is known that children who are overweight or obese in childhood become obese in adulthood and these people develop diabetes and cardiovascular events at a young age. In addition, it has been observed that the risk of developing musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis and breast, endometrium and colon cancer is high in adulthood.
What are the Factors Preparing Childhood Obesity?
In our age, the shift of parents' eating habits to foods rich in fat and sugar causes children to develop their eating habits in this way. This type of nutrition leads to the inability to obtain vitamins, minerals and other necessary elements with nutrition. The child does not want to move because of the immersive games or visuals. On the other hand, families frequently resort to these methods that keep their children well-behaved.
What are the Problems Caused by Childhood Obesity?
We can summarize these problems as physical, social and emotional problems.
Physical problems include;
- Type 2 diabetes,
- Metabolic syndrome: The name given to the condition where heart, diabetes and blood fats coexist.
- High blood fats (cholesterol) and high blood pressure
- Asthma,
- Sleep disorders,
- Fatty liver,
- Bone fractures can be counted.
What are the Symptoms of Obesity?
Although there are many counts, measurements and calculations according to obesity degrees, the most valid and accepted calculation is body mass. is the index. According to the body mass index calculation, values between 25-29.9 kg are accepted as common and simple obesity. Values between 30-39.9 kg are considered as obesity. Values above 40 kg are called severe morbid obesity. According to these values, it is a common symptom for people who are obese to have sleep problems. Many obesity patients have sleep problems due to sleep apnea. In addition, obese people have a tendency to develop respiratory tract infections. /li>Although there are many symptoms as above, the most basic symptom of obesity is a body composition with high fat content. The most important reason for all these symptoms is irregular, unbalanced and excessive nutrition. This body structure may even cause people to be isolated from society and have weaker social relationships.
What are the Risk Factors for Obesity?
Major risk factors for obesity:
- Familial inheritance and effects: There is a genetic predisposition to obesity in some families. Members of these families are not able to efficiently convert food into energy or regulate their appetites or expend sufficient calories during exercise. content diet), excessive consumption of high-calorie liquids (cola, soda, sweet drinks, etc.), and inactivity. People who prefer sedentary or sedentary lifestyles spend a long time in front of the computer and/or television. is found. Antidepressants, anti-epileptic drugs g If the necessary diet control is not done in the long-term use of drugs like ibid, it leads to weight gain.
- Social and economic situation: Lack of safe areas for walking and exercise, not having the habit of cooking healthy food, Adapting to unhealthy eating behaviors are predisposing factors for obesity.
- Age: Although obesity is a disease that can be seen at any age today, loss of activity and hormonal changes with aging increase the risk of obesity.
- Other factors: Other factors that cause obesity include pregnancy, quitting smoking, insomnia, stress, trying to lose weight frequently (yo-yo diet; when weight gains rapidly after dieting, body basal metabolism slows down and weight cannot be lost at the same rate in subsequent trials) and intestinal bacterial system (microbiome) cause weight gain or inability to lose weight.
How to Diagnose Obesity Is it placed?
A body mass index greater than 30 is a simple and reliable diagnostic method. However, this method is not right for everyone. For example, the use of this account is not very accurate in people with a lot of muscle mass who are professionally interested in sports.
Patients diagnosed with obesity are directed to a dietitian by physicians after undergoing some examinations and diagnostic tests about whether there is any health problem related to weight problem or whether any health problem has caused obesity.
Body analysis is performed by the dietitian, and nutritional habits are evaluated. Three-day or five-day food consumption records may be requested for a clearer understanding of the diet. Afterwards, a nutrition program should be prepared in accordance with the patient's age, physical activity level and accompanying diseases, and it should be ensured that he reaches his ideal weight.
What are the Health Problems that Obesity May Cause?
Obesity causes serious health problems over time. Some of these are;
