Obesity

Billons of people around the world are undergoing obesity. Obesity results from the excessive accumulation of fat that exceeds the body's skeletal and physical standards. According to the National Institutes of Health, an increase in 20 percent or more above your ideal body weight is the point at which excess weight becomes a health risk.

The reasons for obesity are multiple and complex. Many underlying conditions can cause obesity. Despite conventional wisdom, it is not simply a result of overeating. Research has shown that in many cases a significant, underlying cause of morbid obesity is genetic. Studies have demonstrated that once the problem is established, efforts such as dieting and exercise programs have a limited ability to provide effective long-term relief.

The primary concern of overweight and obesity is one of health and not appearance: An estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity. The risk of death rises with increasing weight. Individuals who are obese (BMI > 30) have a 50 to 100% increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight. Obesity cause directly or indirectly many health problems like: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, breathing problems, arthritis, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. Obesity can affect the quality of life through limited mobility and decreased physical endurance as well as through social, academic, and job discrimination.

Weight loss has a lot of benefits, as modest as, 5 to 15% of total body weight in a person who is overweight or obese, reduces the risk factors for some diseases, particularly heart disease. Weight loss can result in lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and improved cholesterol levels. A person with a Body Mass Index (BMI) above the healthy weight range may benefit from weight loss, especially if he or she has other health risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, and a personal and/or family history of heart disease.

We recommend, as a first step, the prevention, diet, behavior modifications, exercise and avoid sedentary life style, but we know that bariatric surgery is necessary in patients with severe obesity who failed to lose weight with non-surgical therapy

If you need more information about obesity, feel free to contact us: info@obesityelsalvador.com