Obesity is a condition where a person has accumulated so much body fat that it might have a negative effect on their health.
Any individual having a bodyweight at least 20% higher than what it should is considered obese. A Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. If your BMI is 30 or over you are considered obese.
Causes of Obesity:
Obesity occurs when there is more calories intake than you use. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs for each person. Factors that might affect your weight include your genetic makeup, overeating, eating high-fat foods, and not being physically active. Hormonal imbalances are also associated with weight gain.
Risk factors of obesity:
Being obese increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some cancers Excessive body weight is associated with various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, obstructive sleep apnoea, and certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis and asthma
Childhood Obesity:
Childhood Obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. Children who are obese are above the normal weight for their age and height.
Childhood obesity can cause health problems that were once considered adult problems — diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea, asthma and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression.
Causes of childhood obesity: Little activity and too many calories from food (junk food) and drinks — are the main contributors to childhood obesity.
Other causes being genetic and hormonal factors might play a role as well.
Measures to reduce obesity
Some patients may be prescribed medication, DIETRY CHNAGES AND EXERCISE while others might undergo weight-loss surgery.
Dietary changes: Obese people are advised to reduce their total daily calorie intake and to consume more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The consumption of sugar, certain refined carbohydrates and some fats are to be reduced significantly. A dietician can plan out a weight-loss program. People who are seriously obese may be prescribed a very low calorie liquid diet. These must be done with a health care professional.
Physical activity:
The more physical activity the more calories you burn. Walking briskly is a good way to start increasing your physical activity. However combining increased physical activity with a good diet will significantly increase your chances of losing weight successfully.
Prescription medications for losing weight
If the patient finds it extremely hard to shed the pounds, or if his obesity has reached such a point as to significantly undermine his health, then prescription drugs may become an option.
Weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery)
A gastric band type of surgery is becoming an increasingly common treatment for obesity. Bariatric surgery alters your stomach or small intestine size so that you are unable to consume much food at one time and reduce the feeling of hunger, enhancing the feeling of satiety. This reduces the total number of calories you consume each day, thus helping to lose weight.
For further queries on obesity and weight management please contact Wockhardt Hospitals.
Wockhardt Hospitals, a chain of tertiary care super-specialty hospitals has more than 25 years of experience in the creation and management of Super Specialty Hospitals in India.
At Wockhardt Hospitals our Endocrinology department, Diabetes and Weight Management Centre at Wockhardt Hospitals treat various endocrine disorders .The division has an integrated multi-disciplinary model for providing comprehensive management of the entire range of endocrine conditions. Our team is also actively involved in ongoing research for diabetes and other endocrine disorders. These disorders are investigated and treated by our endocrinologist at Wockhardt Hospitals.
Wockhardt Hospitals also has unique weight management centre. Together with India’s only physician certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine, our centre focuses on medical management of overweight and obesity conditions. We have a multidisciplinary team consisting of physicians, dieticians, counsellors and exercise physiologists. The protocol delivers an international evidence-based management for safe and effective weight loss. The program also works in close collaboration with surgical approaches for weight management for those patients that need it, as the Hospital is also a Centre of Excellence for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and also has a Surgeon of Excellence.
Bariatric Surgery at Wockhardt Hospitals is recognised as a centre of excellence Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Our renowned doctor, Dr Raman Goel and his specialised and dedicated team provide the clinical expertise for managing and treating obesity through this super speciality surgery. The team is guided and has immense experience with all surgical protocols for all procedures and Pre & Post-surgical Management.
Wockhardt Hospitals have been regarded as a centre of excellence in medical science and surgery with facilities in North Mumbai (Mira road), South Mumbai (Mumbai Central), Navi Mumbai (Vashi), Nagpur, Nasik, Rajkot and Surat. Wockhardt Hospitals is having state-of-the-art infrastructure whose prime objective is patient safety first and quality of care at the core of its strategy. The guiding philosophy is to serve and enrich the Quality of Life of patients and to make life win.
