Obesity is a health condition that occurs when a person has too much body fat and weight. A body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 is considered obese. From 1975 to 2016, the global prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5-19 years increased from 4% to 18%.

Obesity is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, including heart disease (such as blood pressure and stroke), diabetes and related diseases such as amputation, blindness, the need for dialysis, and musculoskeletal diseases (such as osteoarthritis). The risk of these non-communicable diseases increases as a person’s weight increases. Obesity in childhood can cause many serious health problems, and it is more likely to be obese in adulthood.

Causes of obesity:

Overweight and obesity can be reversed and prevented. The root cause of obesity is the imbalance between calories, for example, the consumption of calories is greater than that of the body. In recent decades, the global diet has changed. People are increasingly eating high-calorie, high-fat and sugar-containing foods, and due to the nature of work, physical activity decreases, which play an important role in obesity. Changes in diet and physical activity patterns are also the result of environmental and social changes, which are related to the lack of supportive policies and development in the health, agriculture, food processing, environment, and education sectors [1].

Obesity management:

Reducing a person’s risk of obesity includes many factors, including dietary changes, increased physical activity, behavioral therapy, and in some cases weight-loss drugs and surgery.

Diet adjustment:

 It includes reducing the caloric intake of fat and sugary foods, and increasing the caloric intake of fruits, vegetables, milk, beans, nuts, lean meat, fish, and whole grains. These are the first-line treatments for obesity. So, here are some healthy weight loss meals and snack ideas

1 apple, 1 cucumber and ½ cup boiled bean salad.

1 cup of dairy-free oatmeal and 6 almonds.

1 cup of chicken and cabbage soup with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

1 bran bread and 2 egg whites (omelet, fried or boiled).

Add 1 cup of green tea/cinnamon tea to your daily life.

1 cup of skimmed milk plus 6 almonds.

physical activity:

Children exercise 60 minutes a day, and adults exercise 20-25 minutes a day. It has a positive effect on reducing fat storage and regulating energy balance for obese people.

Behavior therapy:

It is very useful when considered for the treatment of weight loss and weight management. Individual or group counseling can be used to reduce different eating behaviors, such as eating while watching the screen, eating too fast, and not being hungry.

Weight loss drugs and surgery:

Weight loss pills are only recommended for people who have a body mass index above 30 and are at medical risk due to obesity. In addition to obesity drug treatment, surgery is required when BMI is extremely high and exceeds 40 and is accompanied by obesity-related medical diseases and other treatment methods are ineffective. In infants, breastfeeding from birth to 6 months of age can reduce the chance of overweight and obesity during infancy and childhood [1] [2].

References:

1-World Health Organisation. (2021, june 9). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from World Health Organisation: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

2-Srinivas Nammi, S. K. (2004, April 14). Obesity:An overview on its current perspectives and treatment options. Retrieved november 3, 2021, from BMC Nutrition journal: https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-3-3