Over the world, obesity today affects 1 in 8 people. This is important to know

 

Worldwide, almost 1 billion people are classified as obese.

One in eight individuals globally is already obese, according to data from recent Lancet research released by the World Health Organization (WHO). More precisely, according to the most recent data, 43% of adults, or 2.5 billion people, were overweight in 2022; of those, 890 million individuals were obese, a number that has more than doubled since 1990. Since 1990, the number of obese adolescents has quadrupled, with 160 million people aged 5 to 19 classified as obese.

However, what distinguishes being overweight from being obese? And in light of the WHO report's renewed demands for global obesity prevention and management, what are some effective interventions? This is important to know.

Overweight Versus Obesity

According to the director of the WHO's department of nutrition and food safety, obesity is "a chronic relapsing disease characterized by excess deposits of fat that can impair health." In plainer terms, he describes it as "a more severe form of overweight." The health hazards that obesity is linked to are what set it apart.

The World Health Organization states that obesity increases the risk of the following conditions:

 

·         Cardiovascular disease

·         Type 2 diabetes

·         Kidney disease

·         Certain cancers

·         Problems with bone health

·         Reproductive health difficulties.

·      Impaired day-to-day activities including walking and sleeping

 
According to experts, comorbidities of obesity, which include illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea, cause almost 5 million deaths worldwide each year.

However, the doctor informs us that there is no "reliable increased risk of morbidity and mortality" associated with being overweight. However, because of normal weight gain patterns, "we know that when someone is in the quote unquote overweight range, they have higher risk of developing obesity in the future."

Body mass index, which is supposed to calculate body fat based on an individual's height and weight, defines each condition. Despite its contentious nature, the measurement tool is employed as a screening technique for weight categories like:

 

·         Normal: a BMI of less than 25

·         Overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9)

·         Obese: BMI of 30 or above

According to an expert, BMI is "useful on a population level" in predicting rates of obesity by taking into account amounts of fat and adipose tissue. However, there are other health parameters that must be considered on an individual basis. For instance, among the things that experts look for in patients are blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and other indicators.

 

Additional physical parameters, including the circumference of the waist, are also considered. "There are people who have higher body mass index (BMI) that would be considered higher risk, but they individually are not because they are not having the same co-morbidities or complications at that body mass index (BMI)," according to one specialist.

Conversely, "There are individuals in the overweight range that may have pre-diabetes or diabetes, who have a family history of the disease, and who still have a significant amount of visceral fat and weight gain in their abdomen." At that time, that holds greater significance than their BMI. The measure by itself, the expert continues, "Is not a good indication of health."

The likelihood of being obese as opposed to overweight is also influenced by social determinants of health, which are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as "non-medical factors that influence health outcomes," such as the conditions under which people live and work, racism, and climate change.

 

What Factors Lead to or Exacerbate Obesity?

According to experts, the illness is caused by "an energy imbalance, generated by unhealthy dietary intakes and inadequate levels of physical activity." Furthermore, although the idea that obesity is a result of personal responsibility is reinforced by weight prejudice, experts assert that this idea has very little bearing on an individual's diagnosis of obesity.

"Genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as social interactions and the availability of food, always interact to cause obesity." A specialist adds, "And then there are drugs and other things that raise the risk of obesity and make patients acquire weight. "Most of obesity has nothing to do with personal choices."

A spokesman for the CDC's division of obesity, physical activity, and nutrition concurs. "Weight and health can be impacted by neighborhood design, availability of safe and convenient locations for physical exercise, and access to wholesome, reasonably priced meals and beverages. The differences in obesity rates between racial and ethnic groups highlight the necessity of addressing and removing obstacles to health, such as housing, education, and poverty."

This is why experts claim that high-level treatments are necessary for the prevention of obesity. "The structuring society so that healthier choices are automatic or easier, addressing our global food supply to have healthier choices and enough fruits, vegetables, and having built environments with opportunities for people to walk more and to do more physical activity safely."

In the end, the expert concludes, "I think there are still a lot of things we don't know, but there are things that we know are fueling this global surge of obesity rates." Furthermore, scientists argue that greater focus should be placed on policies and their effects because prevention plays a significant role in lowering obesity rates.

 

How does a Course of Treatment Look?

"Obesity treatment requires an integrated approach, which including long-term support of lifestyle changes provided by a well-trained team of health practitioners — doctors, dietitians, psychologists — possibly accompanied by pharmacological and/or surgical treatment, depending on the severity of the condition," states the expert.

"We've all heard about the newer injectable medications," the expert says. However, there are also a number of drugs that are more widely available right now, have a longer shelf life, and are less costly." However, as one expert notes, "we have 1 billion people" who are obese. "We wish to stop it," the expert says. "We do need a lot more research and to be trying a lot more things when it comes to obesity prevention or even preventing further increases in the rates of obesity."

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