Post by aziMking on May 10, 2006 9:17:52 GMT 3
Decrease your waistline to increase your lifeline. This is what a senior doctor who specialises in the field of obesity advises his patients who are obese or overweight.
Around 15 to 20 per cent teenagers in India are obese or overweight while the rate is nearly 10 to 15 per cent in adults, according to Dr Ramesh Goyal, Consultant in Diabetology and Endocrinology and Metabolic physician, Apollo Hospitals.
Globally, there are more than one billion overweight adults and nearly 300 million of them obese.
The difference between obese and overweight is the degree of difference in Body Mass Index. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. In simple terms, the amount of fat is much more in an obese person than in an overweight person.
Obese people are prone to a host of diseases including those of heart besides blood pressure, diabetese and several others.
Besides suffering from loss of stamina, they suffer other psychological problems associated with it.
"In our country, we are facing paradox of metabolic epidemic in the form of obesity, diabetese, hypertension and heart problems. On one hand, there is prevalence of under nourishment on other hand there is obesity", Goyal said.
However, food habit is only one of the reasons for obesity as this is multifactorial wherein genetic predisposition, lifestyle and other factors have a direct bearing.
If one or both of the parents is obese, then there is 50 per cent chance that the child will be obese adult as gentic predisposition plays an important part in obesity, Goyal says.
Insulin resistance is another cause of obesity particularly trunkal obesity, Goyal said adding that Indians are genetically more prone to be resistant to insulin which is another cause of obesity.
In fact, obesity is one of the prime cause of diabetese which is a precursor to a host of other diseases like hypertnesion, heart problem and other diseases, he said.
Earlier obesity was not recognised as a chronic disease. It was in 1984 when several studies were conducted which showed that obesity was in fact a chronic disease.
Till recent past treatment of obesity was a frustating experience for both the patients and doctors. The drugs which were previously available had serious side effects on the heart valves and blood vessels of the lungs and had to be withdrawn from the market worldwide, he added.
But recently, good progress has been made in this field and some drugs have shown promising results. Besides safety aspect, these drugs have also shown variable efficacy, he said adding that the average weight loss using the modern medicines has been eight to ten kilos a year.
However, drug therapy is not a substitute to diet and excercise, Goyal said adding that to achieve good results medicines, diet and excercise should go hand in hand.
Sedantary lifestyle and increased consumption of energy- dense food with high levels of sugar and saturated fats is an important factor that contributes to obesity.
"Interestingly, obesity is more in developing countries than in developed ones", added Goyal.
Other problems that arise because of obesity includes respiratory problems, skin problems, infertility and musculoskeletal problems.
Studies have shown that even modest amount of weight loss has significant health benefits in terms of prevention of cardiovascular diseases, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, certain type of cancers and gallbladder disease, he added.
For those who are obese, it is worth giving up sedantary life and consumption of high calorie food.
Around 15 to 20 per cent teenagers in India are obese or overweight while the rate is nearly 10 to 15 per cent in adults, according to Dr Ramesh Goyal, Consultant in Diabetology and Endocrinology and Metabolic physician, Apollo Hospitals.
Globally, there are more than one billion overweight adults and nearly 300 million of them obese.
The difference between obese and overweight is the degree of difference in Body Mass Index. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. In simple terms, the amount of fat is much more in an obese person than in an overweight person.
Obese people are prone to a host of diseases including those of heart besides blood pressure, diabetese and several others.
Besides suffering from loss of stamina, they suffer other psychological problems associated with it.
"In our country, we are facing paradox of metabolic epidemic in the form of obesity, diabetese, hypertension and heart problems. On one hand, there is prevalence of under nourishment on other hand there is obesity", Goyal said.
However, food habit is only one of the reasons for obesity as this is multifactorial wherein genetic predisposition, lifestyle and other factors have a direct bearing.
If one or both of the parents is obese, then there is 50 per cent chance that the child will be obese adult as gentic predisposition plays an important part in obesity, Goyal says.
Insulin resistance is another cause of obesity particularly trunkal obesity, Goyal said adding that Indians are genetically more prone to be resistant to insulin which is another cause of obesity.
In fact, obesity is one of the prime cause of diabetese which is a precursor to a host of other diseases like hypertnesion, heart problem and other diseases, he said.
Earlier obesity was not recognised as a chronic disease. It was in 1984 when several studies were conducted which showed that obesity was in fact a chronic disease.
Till recent past treatment of obesity was a frustating experience for both the patients and doctors. The drugs which were previously available had serious side effects on the heart valves and blood vessels of the lungs and had to be withdrawn from the market worldwide, he added.
But recently, good progress has been made in this field and some drugs have shown promising results. Besides safety aspect, these drugs have also shown variable efficacy, he said adding that the average weight loss using the modern medicines has been eight to ten kilos a year.
However, drug therapy is not a substitute to diet and excercise, Goyal said adding that to achieve good results medicines, diet and excercise should go hand in hand.
Sedantary lifestyle and increased consumption of energy- dense food with high levels of sugar and saturated fats is an important factor that contributes to obesity.
"Interestingly, obesity is more in developing countries than in developed ones", added Goyal.
Other problems that arise because of obesity includes respiratory problems, skin problems, infertility and musculoskeletal problems.
Studies have shown that even modest amount of weight loss has significant health benefits in terms of prevention of cardiovascular diseases, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, certain type of cancers and gallbladder disease, he added.
For those who are obese, it is worth giving up sedantary life and consumption of high calorie food.
