Obesity
Obesity
The phenomenon of obesity is spreading at almost “epidemic” speed. The reasons for this are too much fat in our diet, and the fact that cars, television and computers all cause people to sit still for long periods and burn up fewer calories. The cure for this, however, is not a doctor’s job but very much a personal matter, requiring the motivation and determination to eat and drink less and also to start exercising regularly.
Recently, someone said it seemed that one half of the population was too thin and wanted to gain weight, while the other half was too fat and wanted to lose weight. Whatever the case year by year, more and more people have become overweight and now it’s more common for people to be overweight than have a normal weight.
On the other hand very few people are underweight and if this is not caused by, or the cause of, any underlying illness, then it is much healthier to be underweight than overweight. This “epidemic” of obesity is now worrying health authorities in most countries in the Western Hemisphere because of the consequences on the population’s health in general.
Body Mass Index
An American tracking study of one million people carried out over many years has shown that men who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 23 and women who have a BMI of 22 enjoy the longest life and fewer illnesses. If a persons BMI is over 25, statistics show there is a substantial increase in mortality and incidence of illness. By using the BMI formula at the next section of this article you can work out your own BMI, and if you compare it with what you see in the mirror, you can decide whether or not you are overweight.
How To Work Out Your Personal BMI
BMI is used for comparing the “Nutrition State” of people with different height. BMI is the abbreviation of “Body Mass Index”.
The calculation is done by dividing a persons weight in kilograms with that person’s height measured in meters and then put in second power.
For example the BMI calculation for a man who weighs 80kg, and is 1,80 meters tall is done in the following way:
80: (1,80 x 1,80) = 80 3,24 =24,7
Certain people such as bodybuilders and pregnant women can have a BMI, which is a little too high without being too fat. The rest of the population can be determined as underweight if their BMI is under 18,5, as normal if their BMI is between 18,5 and 25 and overweight if their BMI is over 25.
The Risks Of Obesity
For every point that your BMI increases, the risks also increase of developing heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and arthritis in your hips and knee joints, as well as other weight related illnesses. In short, people who are overweight have a shorter lifespan and have a greater tendency to develop illnesses. Additionally, obesity often results in a poorer quality of life because of the awkwardness of participating in physical exercise, the greater difficulty in buying suitable clothes, and of dissatisfaction with one’s personal appearance and so on. All these difficulties, large and small, can actually become the cause of psychological problems. The traditional picture of fat, jolly and happy man is long gone.
Our Genes and our Eating Habits
Obesity sometimes appears to run in some families and may be a combination of both eating habits and hereditary causes. If you were overweight as a child, you’re often likely to be over weight as an adult. Metabolic disorders, allergies, certain kinds of medicines and a number of other medical conditions can also be causes of being overweight.
However these factors alone do not explain the “Epidemic of obesity” now sweeping the Western Hemisphere. Nutrition experts agree that the main causes of the fast growing number of people who are overweight are, on the one hand, that people eat too much fat food and, on the other hand, that they don’t exercise enough. This is partly due to the effect of cars, televisions and computers because we need to sit still for long periods of the day in order to use them.
Everybody Can Lose Weight
Treatment of more special causes of being overweight such as various metabolic disorders is a job for doctors who specialise in diseases that cause obesity. However, most people can reduce their weight by simply cutting down on calories, especially fat food and alcohol - to a maximum of two or three drinks a day!
In addition you can also lose weight by exercising, including running, swimming and other kinds of aerobic sports. Even just using the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking the dog - even if you don’t have one! - Are better than doing nothing at all.
However losing weight is hard work. There are no easy solutions in spite of what the many advertisements for miracle diets say. Furthermore, you have to change your eating habits to a lower intake of calories and continue to exercise for the rest of your life. If a person who is overweight loses enough weight to return to normal weight, that person will enjoy a longer life with less illness and a better quality of life.