Worldwide, obesity is on the rise India is the third most obese country in the world 9.8 million obese men and 20 million obese women. Considering the health risks of obesity and the number of people suffering from it, obesity can be safely assumed to be epidemic.
So what exactly is obesity? Is it just being overweight? Both the terms ‘overweight’ and ‘obese’ refer to a condition of being over the weight considered healthy for a given height and age. However, it’s your body mass index (BMI) that decides if you are merely overweight or obese. Obesity obviously poses greater threat to your health.
Symptoms Of Obesity:
Excessive weight gain and extra fatty tissue are obviously the major signs of obesity. Excess weight gain leads to multiple symptoms that manifest over a period of time and become increasingly prominent. These include running out of breath even with minor exertion, lethargy, tiredness, snoring / difficulty in sleeping, excessive perspiration, pain in joints like knees, hips and the back, rashes in the folds of skin such as in the groins, between thighs, below breasts, etc., depression, low self esteem/depression, always feeling hot and daytime sleepiness. Patients may manifest symptoms of diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer, gallbladder disease, type 2 diabetes, etc.
Causes Of Obesity Can Be Numerous. These Include:
- Poor eating habits: High calorie diets and drinks, oversized food portions, fast foods, and skipping breakfast are few habits that cause weight gain leading to obesity
- Lack Of Physical Activity: Sedentary life without adequate physical activities
- Genetics And Family History: The amount of fat stored in the body as well as distributed is largely determined by the genetic make-up of an individual. Also, if one or both of the parents are obese, a child’s risk of being obese is significantly higher
- Pregnancy: Weight gain during pregnancy is a normal and essential phenomenon; however, some women may find it difficult to lose this excess weight after childbirth
- Hormonal: Hormonal disturbances in medical conditions like Hypothyroidism, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOD/PCOS) can lead to obesity
- Arthritis: Chronic arthritis or any other chronic pain may indirectly contribute to obesity since physical activities are reduced due to pain and the patient may tend to overeat to psychologically combat the pain
- Medications: Certain medications like steroids, antidepressants, seizure medications, and certain high blood pressure medicines may also cause weight gain
- Psychological Causes: It includes bulimia, emotional stress, anxiety and depression that can lead to overeating thus contributing to obesity.
Complications Of Obesity:
Carrying excess weight has harmful effects in the long run. People in whom the fat builds up mostly around the abdomen (apple-shaped obesity) are at greater risk of developing complications as compared to those in whom the fat accumulates around the hips (pear-shaped obesity). Some potential complications of obesity include Type 2 diabetes, lipid abnormalities – high cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure, strokes, depression, heart diseases, osteoarthritis (especially of the knees), infertility, irregular menses, sleep apnea, cancer, gallbladder disease, fatty liver disease, impaired quality of life, personal and social issues on a mental and physical level.
Homeopathy Treatment For Obesity
Homeopathy is a holistic and safe way to overcome obesity without side-effects. Successful programs for weight reduction and maintenance include homeopathic treatment along with an exercise schedule and a diet plan prepared by qualified nutritionists leading to tangible results like normal BMR, normalized body water percentage and reduction in body fat.
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