Obesity

Obesity – General Information

Obesity is a medical condition in which the natural energy reserve which is stored in the fatty tissue is increased to a point where it is associated with some health conditions and even with increased mortality. Obesity is an individual health condition which is increasingly viewed as a serious public health problem. The excessive body weight has been shown to lead to many diseases such as:

• Cardiovascular diseases – are a class of diseases in which the heart and the blood vessels – arteries and veins - are affected. 
• Sleep apnea – is a sleep disorder which is characterized by pauses in breathing during the sleep.
• Osteoarthritis – is a medical condition in which low inflammations result in pain in the joints. The pain is caused by the wearing of the cartilage that covers and acts as a cushion.
• Diabetes – is an Obesity-related type of Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Diabetes Insipidus and is a metabolic disorder, characterized by insulin resistance.

Obesity may be defined in absolute terms or in relative terms. In the practical settings, this disease is usually evaluated in the absolute terms by measuring the body mass index (BMI). The disease may also be evaluated in terms of distribution through waist and waist-hip circumference ratio measurements.
The presence of this disease must be regarded in association with other risk factors and comorbidities (which are other medical conditions that can influence the risks of complications). Another way to determine this disease is to asses percent of the body fat. The tests that measure the body fat are:

• Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Computed tomography

Obesity – Symptoms

The signs that show you that you are suffering of Obesity are the following:

• poor nutrition
• lack of physical activity
• high cholesterol
• psychosocial disability
• large body frame
• difficulty in doing daily activities
• lethargy
• breathlessness
• energy level
• snoring
• facial features often appear disproportionate
• adiposity (which are the fat cells) in the breast region in boys
• large abdomen (white and even purple marks are sometimes present)
• in males, external genitals may appear disproportionately small
• puberty can occur early
• increased adiposity in the upper arms and thighs
• knock kneed – a very common symptom
• increased weight and also increased abdominal girth
• increased body mass index
• hypertension
• thrombophilia – a disorder in homeostasis that can lead to Thrombosis
• striae
• raised levels of cortisol and uric acid
• Pickwickian syndrome – is a medical condition characterized by Obesity, somnolence and erythrocytosis.
• Hyperlipidaemia – means an excessive quantity of lipids in the organism
• Hyperinusulinaemia – high insulin levels in the blood
• Infertility in females
• Amenorrhoea – meaning the absence of the menstrual period
• Carpal tunnel syndrome – is characterized by an enlargement of the wrists, tendons and ligaments that often appears after an aggravation of the inflammations.
• Burning and tingling fingers
• Numbness in fingers and fingers paresthesias
• Usually thumb, index and middle fingers are affected
• Hand weakness
• The little fingers are usually not affected.

Obesity - Treatment

The goal of Obesity treatment is to get and maintain a healthier weight. The quantity of weight a patient needs to lose to improve his health may be less than what he feels he needs to lose. Just a 5 to 10 percent weight loss can bring health improvements. This means that if a patient weighs 200 pounds and is obese by the BMI standards, he would need to lose about 10 to 20 pounds. He doesn't have to stop there, but it is a point to start. Slow and steady weight loss of 1 or 2 pounds a week is considered the safest way to lose weight. Achieving a healthy weight is usually done through some dietary changes, increased activity and behavior modification. Depending on the situation, the doctor may suggest prescription medication or weight-loss surgery to supplement the efforts.

The dietary changes include: changing your eating style by adopting one that promotes the weight loss and the low intake of calories. The way in which you can lower your intake of calories is by eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains. You must have a varied diet in order to achieve your goals, without giving up the taste and nutrition. You can also cut back on the calories by reducing the intake of sugar, carbohydrates and some types of fats. The increased physical activity consists in the cutting of 250 calories from the daily diet that can help you to lose approximately half a pound per week and in the adding of a thirty minutes of walk four days a week, which can help you to double the quantity of weight loss. The scope of the exercises for the weight loss is to burn as much calories as possible, but they offer you many other benefits. One type of these physical activities is the steady aerobic exercises like walking, but more that just 30 minutes per day. You will find an improvement in your Obesity medical condition very soon.

The behavior modification involves changing your approach to eating and to activity, this means you have to change the way you think, act and feel. The behavior modification program (vital in the treatment of Obesity), which is led by a psychologist or other trained professional, helps you make these changes in your lifestyle. When you want to change your behavior you should start analyzing the way you eat and make exercises. Once you understood which habits you must let go of you should:

• Make a plan
• Set realistic goals
• Avoid the food triggers
• Keep a record - a diet and activity diary

In order for you to lose weight (and treat Obesity) your doctor or therapist can prescribe you a medication treatment that may include two of the following drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration

• Sibutramine (also known as Meridia) – is a drug that changes the chemistry of the brain by making you to feel “full” quickly. The side effects are the followings: blood pressure, dry mouth, constipation, headaches and also insomnia.
• Orlistat (also known as Xenical) – is a drug that prevents the absorption of the fat in one’s intestines. The side effects include: oily and bowel movements.