What are the Signs of Obesity?
When weight-losing and dieting have become the trend of the age, obesity co-exists with that trend. You must understand the fact that obesity is in itself an ailment. Obesity means excessive body weight. It increases the risk of several other diseases. A high Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more indicates obesity. BMI is the result of dividing your body weight (in pounds) by squaring your height (in inches). If the result is 18 and below, you are underweight; if it’s between 19 and 25 then it’s normal; between 25 and 29 is considered overweight, and above 30 is obese.
Low metabolic rate, lack of proper exercise, excessively intaking foods and drinks with low nutritional value are the principal causes of obesity. It is mainly a lifestyle disease.
Causes of Obesity
When the body regularly intakes more calories than it burns, it leads to obesity. Genetic, social, behavioral as well as environmental factors are responsible for its growth.
Constitutionally, some people possess an increased body weight tendency. Lack of consciousness and lifestyle disorders may lead to grave obesity situations. People with BED, i.e. Binge Eating Disorder, polycystic ovarian syndrome, Cushing’s Disease, are prone to become obese.
Emotional stress may lead to overeating and a lack of self-control. Eating seems like a way of escape from depression and stress. It causes obesity.
Obesity Symptoms and Health Hazards
- Breathing disorders like COPD, i.e. Chronic ObstructivePulmonary Disorder, sleep apnea
- Risk of breast and uterine cancer in women; prostate and bowel cancer in case of men
- Depression
- Coronary artery heart ailment
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Liver and/or gall bladder disease
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Arthritis, Osteoarthritis
- Decreased fertility levels causing reproductive system disorders
What are the Signs of Losing Weight?
When you are trying to lose weight, intentionally or unintentionally, your body will show signals. Exercise, workouts, and proper dieting can result in intentional weight loss. Unintentional weight loss can be the cause of ailments like diabetes, hyperthyroidism. In either case, the body fat decreases.
Post-pregnancy weight loss is normal and natural. The weight loss signs and symptoms are also witnessed in viral infections like HIV and CMV, Cancer, depression, parasite infection, gastroenteritis, bowel-related ailments.
Weight loss signs and symptoms can also be seen during a chronic lack of nutrition, resulting in a chronic ailment called cachexia. Medicinal side effects may also result in this situation. But that’s temporary. As soon as you withdraw the intake of the medicine, normalcy restores shortly after.
Anorexia, tuberculosis, dementia, malabsorption syndromes, extreme alcohol dependence, stress, anxiety are also plausible factors of unintentional weight loss. You should seek proper medical guidance to assess the reason behind unintentional weight loss.
Medical Supervision
If you are overweight or obese, you have to strive to reduce your body weight. That is, categorized as intentional weight loss. Eating balanced meals on time, avoiding binge eating, changing lifestyle patterns accordingly, undisturbed sleeping, and doing proper workouts and exercise will reduce your obesity and maintain a healthy BMI.
But, if you are not overweight and suddenly start losing weight, you need to seek professional guidance. The doctor will interview you and may suggest tests for accurate diagnosis. It will uncover the real cause and help in treatment.
Types of Treatment
The type and procedure for treating unintentional weight loss depend on the factors responsible for the cause. The treatment will differ accordingly. A proper balance of medicine, diet, physical exercise, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle will guide you to health.
This is a comprehensive guide about obesity and weight loss. Too much of anything is not good. It is true for body weight. Your physical structure indicates your health status. You can occasionally indulge yourself in partying and binge eating.
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But, if that turns into a regular habit, problems begin to arise. You cannot afford to compensate your health and well-being with anything. So, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and doing regular physical exercise are the two most determining factors to enjoy happy health.