Overweight is a term that stands for an increased body fat percentage. Unlike a normal body weight, overweight people usually suffer not only from psychological or aesthetic disorders, but as a result often suffer from various diseases and symptoms caused by being overweight.
What is obesity?
Obesity is very widespread especially in the western industrial world. Due to the fact that in the age of technology, exercise has fallen by the wayside, more and more people suffer from obesity. This is a concomitant of lack of exercise and the intake of increased and also high-fat food. Obesity does not stop at any social class, not men, women and children. For this reason, it is also generally called a widespread disease and should be treated in any case. To get overweight under control, there are various options, starting from calculating the right weight, to therapy.
Causes
There are different causes why people suffer from overweight and others have no problems with their weight. Thus, some people are affected by the fact that they can not notice a feeling of satiety due to a disturbed transmission between the stomach and brain. Thus these humans take up more calories with the food, than they can reduce again in turn at movement. An important reason, which let the predominance become a people illness, are the many Fast Food offers and sugary food, like sweets, Cola and small Snacks. Many of these meals are pure calorie bombs that unnecessarily burden the body and thus promote the overweight. Another cause, at the frequency of overweight people, is lack of exercise. This occurs mostly already in the child age. Many children only sit in front of the computer or television and snack on sweets. Here it is then very obvious that these children must be treated by this circumstance and the lack of movement, in later years at the secondary diseases of overweight.
Diseases with this symptom
- Obesity
- Hip arthritis
- Sleep apnea
- Fatty liver
- Osteoarthritis
- Hormonal imbalances
- Heart failure
- Angina pectoris
- Arteriosclerosis
- Gout
- Diabetes mellitus
- Diseases of the thyroid gland
- Knee joint osteoarthritis
- Stroke
- Gallstones
Course
There are many causes of obesity. The most common is the lack of exercise recorded, in addition to this aspect, there is also a disease-related course. In no case should be forgotten the psychological circumstance, which also promotes obesity. Many patients, who tend under psychological problems and also stress, compensate these with the term food, and take everything to itself, which offers itself to them. These so-called hot hunger attacks are thus a large problem, the risk overweight, to treat successfully. Here so many calories are added to the body in a short time, which he can not break down again. For this reason, after the conversion of fat into carbohydrates in the cells further fat pads are formed.
Complications
Obesity favors the development of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2 and lipid metabolism disorders, as a result of which fatty liver and gallstones may develop. The lungs have to work harder to meet the body’s oxygen requirements if the person is overweight: if the lung capacity is not sufficient, a chronic oxygen deficiency can develop, which becomes noticeable through shortness of breath and a bluish discoloration of the mucous membranes. Nocturnal breathing pauses caused by obesity and heavy snoring also hinder oxygen supply and result in fatigue and exhaustion during the day. The risk of developing malignant tumors of the intestine, kidney, breast, prostate, uterus and ovaries is increased in obesity. Esophagitis caused by reflux of gastric juice also occurs more frequently in obese people. The high weight puts a lot of stress on the spine, hip joints and knee joints, which often leads to premature signs of wear and tear and severe pain.Being overweight during pregnancy carries a higher risk of miscarriage, and gestational diabetes and metabolic disorders, including pregnancy poisoning, also occur more frequently. Radical diets designed to quickly reduce excess weight upset the organism and often lead to metabolic and circulatory disorders. Diet pills and appetite suppressants should only be taken under medical supervision, as dangerous side effects can occur with uncontrolled consumption.
When should you see a doctor?
As a rule, obesity always represents a dangerous condition for the body and for this reason should always be subjected to medical treatment. In many cases, however, the affected person can fight the excess weight himself and lose weight. A doctor should be consulted if the excess weight appears suddenly and without any particular changes in lifestyle, thus restricting everyday life. This may be another underlying disease, which must be investigated in any case. Likewise, a visit to the doctor is necessary if it is not possible for the patient to fight the overweight himself. In this case, the doctor can support the patient and help him lose weight. If the overweight is caused by a disease, medical advice is also necessary in order to avoid consequential damage. In most cases, the family doctor can be consulted first to find out the cause of the excess weight. Further treatment can then take place with a specialist or with a nutritionist.
Treatment and therapy
Obesity can be treated and the family doctor will help anyone who feels the need to do so. Thus, the first thing to do is to measure obesity. This can be determined using the Broca Index or the Body Mass Index. Then all the examinations are carried out, including blood values, ECG and by ultrasound the liver and gall bladder are examined. If, after these detailed examinations, an organic disease can be ruled out, a diet and exercise plan can be drawn up with the attending physician. It would be best to consult a nutritionist, especially in the area of diet, in order to achieve even greater success. Also a registration in the Fitnessstudio and regular training would be advisable, in order to lose fast and effectively superfluous pounds. If the excess weight is due to psychological problems, psychotherapy should be carried out in addition to diet.
Outlook and prognosis
In general, obesity is a very unhealthy and dangerous condition for the body and should be avoided if possible. If obesity occurs over a long period of time, it can result in complications with the heart or joints. As a rule, these damages are not reversible. In case of stress, the patient with overweight may need treatment by a psychologist. It is also advisable to consult a psychologist in case of other psychological complaints that result in binge eating. In the case of a long-lasting overweight condition, complaints of the cardiovascular system occur first and foremost. The patient is no longer able to perform heavy physical work or sports. In extreme cases, the joints are damaged, resulting in restricted movement. Pregnant women suffer from an increased risk of miscarriage if they are overweight. Likewise, diabetes occurs in many people. As a rule, the lungs are also damaged, which is why oxygen must sometimes be supplied to the body externally. Otherwise, acute respiratory distress may occur. Treatment by a doctor is only necessary if the obesity is caused by an underlying disease. In many cases, the patient can fight the excess weight himself and in the process bring the body to a healthy state.
Prevention
Unless the obesity is due to lack of exercise and/or the feast, the actual cause or disease must be treated superficially. For everything else, abundant exercise, sports and a limited, but healthy diet, perfectly protect against obesity.
This is what you can do yourself
Being overweight can put a lot of stress on your daily life. However, in most cases, obesity can be well controlled by your own interventions. The most important factor in obesity is diet.If you eat more calories in the long term than your body needs to do its daily work, you will gain weight. To get rid of excess pounds, a negative energy balance is therefore necessary. However, strict fasting cures are not suitable for everyone. In order to be able to hold the weight on a long-term basis a holistic nourishing conversion is desirable. Not only the energy density of the food is important, but also its degree of processing. Heavily processed foods and convenience products usually provide a lot of calories and are filling only for a short time. Therefore, it is advisable to buy and cook fresh foods as often as possible. The feeling of satiety is 80 percent influenced by the volume of food consumed. Many dishes can be increased in volume while providing fewer calories. For example, instead of potatoes, potato soup can be eaten. In addition, it is important to take time to eat and focus on it. To counteract cravings, it is advisable to eat regularly and to treat yourself to something once in a while. To increase the calorie requirement, to keep the body fit and to maintain weight, exercise should be integrated into everyday life. Small changes such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or riding a bicycle to work make an important contribution to this.
