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Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in the body to the extent that it impairs health.” We can state that obesity, which comes from the Latin word “obesus,” was historically accepted as a symbol of prestige for many years. At times, excessive weight, which was described as an abnormal condition, later began to be regarded as a sign of disrepute. The fact that 1.9 billion people worldwide are overweight reveals how widespread this problem is. Of these individuals, 300 million are considered medical cases.
What Are the Causes of Obesity?
The most common cause of obesity is lack of physical activity accompanied by eating disorders. Since more calories are consumed than are burned, a picture of obesity emerges. This is because excess calories begin to accumulate in the body as fat. In recent years, the widespread habit of consuming fast food has also been shown among the causes of obesity. Research also shows that quitting smoking is one of the causes of obesity for some people. There are many different studies on this subject, but we can say that the general opinion is in this direction.
In women, weight gain may also occur if nutrition is not carefully managed during pregnancy. Sometimes medical problems can cause weight gain. Of course, the age factor should not be forgotten in this matter, because as age increases, weight gain also rises. A person’s socioeconomic status has a very strong effect on eating habits. Therefore, it should be noted that socioeconomic status is also closely related to weight gain.
One of the most common causes of obesity is genetic factors. At this point, it is also necessary to mention some medications, such as antidepressants used for a long time. This is because some medications are known to cause obesity. Finally, it should be stated that weight can also be regained after frequently applied diets.
How Is Obesity Diagnosed?
Body mass index (BMI) is used as the criterion for defining obesity. Body mass index is determined by dividing body weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. If this ratio is above 30, the patient is diagnosed with obesity. Although BMI has the limitation of not showing fat distribution in the body, such as waist-to-hip ratio or subcutaneous fat tissue measurements, its ease of measurement, reliability, low cost, and repeatability have led to its widespread acceptance, and it has become the most preferred parameter for evaluating obesity in epidemiological studies.
What Are the Symptoms of Obesity?
We can list the commonly seen symptoms of obesity as follows:
- Excessive weight gain along with fat accumulation around the waist
- Excessive sweating
- Fatigue
- Waking up in the morning as if you have not slept at all
- Snoring
- Development of skin sores
- Joint and back pain
- Experiencing certain psychological problems such as depression
Diseases Associated with Obesity
Prader-Willi Syndrome
We can state that we have previously operated on two patients with this rare disease. It is a disorder characterized by symptoms such as intellectual disability, affective disorders, eating disorders, and increased appetite.
Cushing Syndrome
This syndrome occurs when the patient is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol for a long time.
Who Is Considered Obese?
First of all, “overweight” and “obesity” should not be confused with each other. Although these two concepts are used interchangeably in daily life, they are actually different. Being overweight means that a person has more weight than ideal according to their height and age. Obesity, on the other hand, should be evaluated not simply as being overweight but as excessive body fat accumulation. Therefore, not everyone who is overweight is obese.
Is There a Treatment for Obesity?
Obesity is a treatable disease. Obesity can be treated with methods such as “diet” (medical nutrition therapy and medical nutritional treatment), “physical exercise,” “behavioral therapy” (changing eating behavior), “drug treatment,” and “bariatric surgery.” Overweight and obese individuals who are trying to fight obesity are gradually becoming more aware and have started to seek solutions for their disease.
It is known that in the fight against obesity, in addition to preventive activities and treatments such as diet and exercise, treatment methods requiring more serious operations are also being used. In fact, it can be said that one of the most commonly applied methods today is bariatric surgery (obesity surgery). Individuals who undergo gastric sleeve surgery among bariatric surgery methods can, over time, begin to lose weight, live more healthily, recover from conditions such as sleep disorders, and improve their quality of life.
What Are the Harms of Obesity?
Hypertension
As the fat ratio in the human body increases, the pressure on the vessels responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients also increases. This raises the need for more blood pumping, and because pressure increases in the arteries, hypertension develops.
Type 2 Diabetes
With weight gain, people’s insulin needs increase, and insulin resistance develops over time. In later years, diabetes, in other words sugar disease, develops.
Arthralgia
Due to weight gain, more load is placed on the joints and bones. For this reason, joint disorders begin to occur, starting with pain in the waist and knees.
Cancer
For every 5-unit increase in body mass index, the risk of cancer increases by 10%. In women, an increase is seen especially in breast and uterine cancer, as well as esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and colon cancer. Likewise, malignant melanoma, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma have also been understood to be associated with an increase in body mass index.
Gallstones
The risk of stone formation in the bile ducts is high in obese individuals.
Skin Disease
As the fat ratio in the body increases, the healing time of skin wounds also becomes longer. Wounds especially develop in areas where sweating occurs. In addition, fungal infections on the feet are frequently observed in obesity patients.
Quality of Life
The quality of daily life in obese individuals worsens day by day.
Sleep Apnea
Obese individuals also experience sleep problems. They may wake up suddenly with a feeling of choking or palpitations while sleeping.
Infertility
If you cannot become pregnant within 1 year despite unprotected sexual intercourse, infertility is mentioned. In women with a body mass index above 30, each unit increase reduces the chance of pregnancy by approximately 5%. In women with a body mass index above 40, the probability of becoming pregnant decreases by 43%.
Fatty Liver
Fatty liver is 4 times more common in obese individuals. For this reason, liver measurement must definitely be performed before surgery.
Reflux
This disease, which especially presents with bitter fluid coming into the mouth, is seen in 40–50% of obese individuals.
Thromboembolism
This disorder, which usually progresses with vascular blockage in the lungs and brain, may result in death. In addition, it also has dozens of other harms such as depression, lack of motivation, and constant fatigue.
Asthma
The reason this disease, which causes difficulty breathing, is frequently seen in obese individuals is the reduced lung capacity.
Psychological Disorders
The lives of obese individuals are very difficult, and they usually say that they are at peace with their appearance. However, it should also be noted that studies have identified many disorders such as lack of self-confidence, depression, personality disorder, and schizophrenia.
Sexual Dysfunction
In interviews we conducted with obese individuals, we found that 80% were not satisfied with their sexual lives. We can also state that when patients diagnosed with obesity lose weight, 80% regain their sexual functions.
Endocrine Disorders
Especially in women, problems such as menstrual irregularities and excessive hair growth may occur quite commonly.
How Can Obesity Be Prevented?
Can people avoid becoming obese throughout their lives by eating normally? Were there this many obese people in ancient times? The answers to these frequently raised questions also need to be examined closely. There were not this many obese people in ancient times because foods were organic, and this factor is extremely important in the problem of obesity.
Over time, technology developed, and especially with the discovery of electricity, people began eating at night as well. Therefore, non-genetic obesity increased. In the next stage, processed foods and fast food meals entered our lives, and obesity began to become a much more widespread problem. In the 20th century, although it varied by country, obesity rates reached 40%. Deaths related to obesity began to occur. In addition, the number of hypertension, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes cases increased, and the world almost began to fight against obesity.
Over time, dietitian schools were opened, and countries began taking various measures from primary school onward so that their children would not become obese. Along with this, hundreds of sports centers were opened. So much so that recently even advertisements for foods that lead to obesity can be prevented. In the 1950s, it was revealed that there was a surgical treatment for this problem.
Because if your body mass index is above 35, it means you have no chance other than surgery. As a result, you cannot fight obesity from only one front. Our struggle, which begins when individuals become pregnant, must continue until the end. In addition, these individuals should consider surgery only at the final stage. You can write your questions about obesity in the comments section.
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