Obesity: A Complex Cycle Poorly Understood

The path to getting out of obesity is not straightforward. It sometimes becomes a vicious cycle, difficult to get out from.

The concept of obesity is not straightforward. It cannot be explained in terms of calorie intake. It is a complex multifactorial condition in which excess fat gets accumulated leading to negative health situations. Raised body mass index (BMI) is directly associated with conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some musculoskeletal disorders. As per some experts, obesity is a vicious cycle and for some people, it might be difficult to get out of it.

As per studies, the fundamental cause of obesity could be a long-term imbalance between consumed and expended calories. The longer a person has obesity, the harder it will be for them to get out of it. Also, there are many factors that might contribute to obesity and it might not necessarily be solved with diet changes and exercise alone.

Obesity as a complex condition

Studies show that the characteristic cause of obesity we all recognize is excess energy stored in the body's fat cells, more than the body uses. This imbalance if exists for the long term can lead to obesity. However, the condition is more complex than it seems to appear. Studies are now understanding how food cravings are upregulated in obese individuals' brains and how dysfunction of glucose and lipid metabolism causes secondary health problems. If these alterations exist for a long time, their reversal becomes all the more complex and difficult. Among the many factors that contribute to obesity apart from bad dietary habits is lack of physical exercise, sleep deprivation, endocrine disrupters like metabolic syndrome, mental illnesses, certain medications and others. As per studies, a faulty gene called the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is responsible for some cases of obesity. Science has also shown some proteins in the body that blocks the body's ability to burn fat, hence making it difficult for obese people to shed weight.

The stigma around obesity and an observed healthcare bias towards it is also making the situation more complex than it should be. It is also promoting reduced engagement with healthcare services, less trust in healthcare providers and poor adherence to treatment.

Changing concepts in obesity

Studies are also discussing the relationship between the role of genetics and environment in obesity. Interestingly, some studies have found that people from disadvantaged backgrounds had a higher weight from adolescence onwards. It meant that social background and childhood challenges might also play an important role in the development of obesity. Hence, no one factor like genetics or environment can purely explain obesity. This makes the condition complex and a hard one to predict.