Extreme obesity increases risk of dying

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risk of dying at a young age from cancer and many other causes, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases, says a new research. People with class III (or extreme) obesity had a dramatic reduction in life expectancy compared with people of normal weight, the findings showed. 'While once a relatively uncommon condition, the prevalence of class III, or extreme, obesity is on the rise,' said Cari Kitahara from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health in the US.

In the United States, for example, six percent adults are now classified as extremely obese, which, for a person of average height, is more than 100 pounds over the recommended range for normal weight, Kitahara explained. In the study, researchers classified participants according to their body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of total body fat and is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared. (Read: Fighting obesity and helping people lose weight online)

BMI classifications (kilogram/metre-squared) for class III obesity is 40 or higher. The study involved analysis of data pooled from 20 large studies of people from three countries - the US, Sweden and Australia. 'Given our findings, it appears that class III obesity is increasing and may soon emerge as a major cause of early death in this and other countries worldwide,' Patricia Hartge from NCI added. The findings appeared in the journal PLOS Medicine.

What are reasons for obesity?

The prime reason is eating unhealthy foods which add more calories and provide less or no nutrition at all to our bodies. A regular intake of such foods plays havoc with our system depositing excess fat which adds weight and pushes us towards being obese.

Another factor is the lack of physical activity. Due to changes in lifestyle, people are plonked in front of their TVs or laptops for hours on end without getting any exercise which leads to weight gain and other health problems. Over time, this combined with unhealthy eating leads to obesity. Read more about Mega guide to curb obesity

Here is a healthy meal plan for the obese:

Breakfast:

2 onion uttapam, 1 cup low-fat curd, 1 fruit OR 1.5 cup vegetable dalia, 1 glass lemon water.

Lunch:

1 cup carrot and onion salad, 2 rotis, 1.5 cup aloo nutri curry, half cup curd OR salad, 1.5 cup steamed rice, 1.5 cup sambar, half cup buttermilk.

Dinner:

1 cup clear tomato soup, 2 rotis, 1 cup carrot-peas, hald cup yellow dal OR 1 cup tomato-cucumber salad, 2 rotis, 1 cup paneer curry. Read more about World Obesity Day: Why we need to control obesity

With inputs from IANS

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• World Obesity Day: Why we need to control obesity
• Gene linked to obesity responsible for weight gain
• 'Heaviest' British man sheds record weight in India!
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• What is making your kid obese?

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