People with a BMI of 27.5 Kg/m2 or higher are categorized as obese.
Obesity is a silent killer and adversely affects almost every aspect of health, right from metabolic, mechanical, reproductive, and respiratory function to memory, mood, and psycho-social health. It causes higher morbidity and mortality rates in people of all age groups. Concerningly, over the last few decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen rapidly in India. It has been predicted that by the year 2040 the number of overweight people will double and those living with obesity will increase by three times. On World Obesity Day, experts have highlighted that an increasing number of youngsters are suffering from obesity in India due to sedentary lifestyles.
"Recently, we are seeing a large number of adolescents and youngsters in their twenties who are living with obesity. Almost 25 per cent of all patients who seek help for weight management are from the younger age group," said Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker, Laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon, Saifee Hospital and Apollo Spectra, Mumbai.
Additionally, the burden of non-communicable diseases related to obesity such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, dyslipidemia, cancer, etc is increasingly being seen in younger people. They develop the disease early, live longer with the disease, and are also prone to developing serious complications due to obesity later in life.
Obesity is defined as the accumulation of excess fat in the body, to the extent that it has an adverse impact on health. Obesity is graded in terms of body mass index (BMI) along with related co-morbidities. People with a BMI between 23.5 to 27.5 Kg/m2 are categorized as being overweight. Those with a BMI of 27.5 Kg/m2 or higher are categorized as obese. Obesity is the harbinger of many other diseases. As BMI increases, so do blood sugar, blood pressure, LDL or "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammation in the body. This leads to an increase in the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and ultimately or early death.
"Obesity and diabetes are together termed as diabesity and are the twin diseases that are adding to a high disease burden in our country and will poorly affect the quality of life and have a grave economic impact in the future," stated Dr. Bhasker.
Obesity has also been linked to many types of cancers like endometrial and breast cancer in women and colorectal cancers in men.
Obesity also leads to respiratory problems. People with obesity tend to have more fat in the region of the neck which puts pressure on the airways. They also have decreased lung space. Both these factors lead to obstructive sleep apnoea which causes excessive snoring and difficulty in breathing while asleep. Additionally, excess weight leads to wear and tear of the weight-bearing joints. It causes strains on bones, muscles, and joints, leading to back and lower limb pain triggering osteoarthritis.
Liver health is also directly related to obesity. Fatty liver is a common finding on ultrasound which is usually ignored. However, in patients with obesity, it can rapidly progress to non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH) which is a precursor of cirrhosis of the liver. Many of these patients remain undiagnosed and ultimately suffer from disabling liver disease.
Dr. Bhasker underscored that a lot of youngsters living with obesity face social stigma and bias.
She said, "They may be body-shamed and ridiculed for their weight. It is common to be teased and made fun of which further adds to the psychological impact of this disease. Youngsters with obesity tend to have poor self-esteem, feel lonely, may avoid social interaction, get stressed, anxious, depressed, and frustrated."
Obesity a chronic disease associated with high body mass index (BMI) and body fat owing to a sedentary lifestyle, according to Dr. Manjiri Karlekar, Endocrinologist Consultant, Zen Multispeciality Hospital said.
Talking about the obesity-related complications, he said, "The hormones leptin, insulin, cortisol impact one's appetite, metabolism, and body fat distribution too. Those who are obese tend to have insulin resistance that leads to fat accumulation in the body, darkening of the skin (ancanthosis nigricans). Insulin resistance can also lead to PCOS and high androgen levels in women leading to unwanted hair growth and irregular periods. In men, it can lead to poor sexual drive. Obesity goes hand in hand with metabolic syndrome which includes high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, and low levels of good cholesterol. These, in turn, can lead to dreadful complications like heart attacks and strokes, kidney problems and some type of cancers, and reduces one's quality of life by increasing mortality and morbidity rates."
Weight loss is the most effective way to correct these problems, it leads to lowering insulin resistance and corrects cholesterol abnormalities, lowering, or even normalizing the blood glucose levels. This can be achieved by regular exercise and maintaining healthy fewer carbohydrates and fats and more fruits, vegetables, and proteins, he noted.
When diet and lifestyle management do not help, your doctor may advise on medications to tackle this problem. Therefore, early intervention and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle are crucial to keep these problems in check and delay the progression of chronic diseases.
For morbidly obese who are unable to achieve weight loss by above methods, bariatric surgery is safest, Dr. Kona Lakshmi Kumari, Consultant Surgical Gastroenterologist, Minimal access GI Surgeon, Metabolic & Bariatric Surgeon, Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad.
Bariatric surgery has evolved over time with advanced technologies, which has resulted in improved outcomes, reduced surgical risks, and shorter recovery time, she told the HealthSite.
World Obesity Day is observed on 4 March every year to create awareness about obesity and promote practical solutions to end this problem, which is believed to be one of the biggest public health challenges facing the world today. It is estimated that around 800 million people are living with obesity and millions more are at risk to get affected.
With the theme, "Everybody Needs to Act", World Obesity Day organisers are calling for action at the local, national, and global level to end the global obesity crisis.
