Obesity causes death? Read on…

Obesity is one of the leading causes of preventable death.

GUEST COLUMN: Dr. N.  Prabhudev

Obesity- the new pandemic, is associated with an increased risk of death, morbidity, and accelerated aging.
Most people view body fat as relatively harmless and merely something we want to banish to look and feel better. Certain types of dangerous fats that are stored around your organs contribute to heart disease, dementia, cancer, depression and many other diseases! If you have a protruding belly and large waist, that’s a clear sign, you’re storing dangerous visceral fat.

Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled – 1975 to 2016. 2.1 billion adults- 18 years and older are overweight. Of these over 650 million are obese. 76% of the world’s population is over fat. If you have excess body fat, you are likely to develop central obesity, metabolic syndrome, and the many obesity-related illnesses -high blood pressure, insulin resistance and diabetes.
Obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease

Health consequences of overweight and obesity!
                    
“Over fat” is simply what the word implies. The body weight may be too high or normal or even low.  Dealing with excess fat needs to be a priority as it truly can put one’s life in jeopardy. Maternal body mass index is an important predictor of childhood obesity. Mothers with pre-pregnancy obesity – BMI ≥30 kg/m2, are known to have children that have higher growth rates and more likely to have obesity.

Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of adult obesity, premature death and disability in adulthood. But in addition to increased future risks, obese children experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, and early markers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effects.

BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio.
BMI Scores
BMI is a value derived from the body mass divided by the square of the body height, and is expressed in units of kg/m 2.
Underweight – under 18.5 kg/m2
Normal weight – 18.5 to 24.9Kg/m2
Overweight – 25 to 29.9 kg/m2
Obese – 30 kg/m2 or more.
Morbidly Obese – 40kg/m2
Waist Circumference Scores.
Men < 40 inches
Women < 35 inches
Waist circumference of 40 inches or more (102 cm) in men, and of 35 inches or more (88 cm) in women, is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk
Waist-to-Hip Ratio
Men 1.0 or less
Women 0.8 or less

BMI is certainly the “standard” measure of obesity. Measure of abdominal girth can be more accurate than BMI in predicting heart disease. BMI is a predictor of heart attack. A waist circumference greater than 35 inches in women and greater than 40 inches in men indicates excessive belly fat surrounding vital organs increases one’s risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and the metabolic syndrome.
If the waist is bigger than the hips, it tells me that the risk carried with that weight is much higher for that person for premature death. If your waist circumference is half your height or less, you are at a healthy fat level. If you are over that number, your fat could put you at risk for ill health.

Abdominal fat is one of the most dangerous kinds of fat you can have. The fat that is in your stomach area grows deep inside your body and it wraps around your vital organs. Your liver borrows this fat and turns it into cholesterol that can sneak into your arteries and start collecting there. When it collects, your arteries start to harden, and when they get hard, this can lead you to having a heart attack or stroke.
This deep layer of belly fat is also what makes your body insulin-resistant, which can lead you to type 2 diabetes. It can also cause inflammation -the root of many chronic diseases and even cancer and Alzheimer’s. Excess belly fat can also raise your glucose levels and decrease your muscle mass. You need good muscle mass to help keep good heart health.

Excess belly fat, even if you are skinny elsewhere, may be even more deadly than being obese or overweight. We know that people with more central or abdominal adiposity and obesity have a higher risk of premature cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and death. Some cancers – including endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney, and colon, is common to obese.

To reverse the obesity epidemic, community efforts should focus on supporting healthy eating and active living in a variety of settings.
Next- Intermittent fasting Or Calorie restriction !

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