Obesity (Latin obesitas - fatness, fatness) is a chronic disease characterized by the accumulation of excessive adipose tissue in the human body, which leads to an increase body weight. The disease is progressive and is accompanied by endocrine disorders . A gradual increase in body weight leads to irreversible processes in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
Today, in the healthcare of our country, and the whole world as a whole, such a disease as obesity takes almost the first place in its prevalence. According to WHO statisticians, since 1980, the number of diseases with this disease has doubled; in 2008, 1.5 billion people aged 20 years and older suffered from excess weight, and it’s scary to talk about the statistical figures of childhood - 40 million children. Every year, almost 3 million people die from being overweight or obese.
Moreover, about 44% of diabetes mellitus, 27% of coronary heart disease and from 7 to 40% of cancer diseases are due to excess weight. Generally speaking, this disease is spreading quite quickly across the globe from year to year. To combat excess weight, various methods are being developed, including various diets, training, and surgical treatment of obesity.
Causes of obesity
A common cause of obesity is slow metabolism, as a result of which the number of calories entering the body with food is not burned, thereby forming excessive fat accumulation. However, many factors lead to a slow metabolism, so the causes of obesity may ultimately vary.
This is primarily due to low physical activity and poor nutrition, frequent consumption of spicy and fatty foods, especially fatty meats, various sweets, and pasta. Improper lifestyle, prolonged sleep, chronic smoking, are also causes of excess weight. Eating large amounts of high-calorie foods, as well as sugary carbonated drinks, also contributes to the accumulation of fat in the body.
The disease may be associated with taking hormonal medications, as well as frequent stress. In some cases, excess body weight is due to a hereditary factor - increased activity lipogenesis enzymes or a decrease in their activity.
Some diseases can also lead to obesity, for example ( insulinoma , gyrothyroidism ), then such obesity is called endocrine. Diseases of the nervous system associated with damage to the hypothalamus lead to hypothalamic obesity.
In addition, taking certain medications can lead to obesity, for example, corticosteroids and various antidepressants . Another factor that contributes to weight gain is age. Usually, after 30 years, a restructuring of special centers of the brain occurs, including the center responsible for appetite. This means that a person needs more food to suppress hunger. In addition, with age, a person’s metabolism slows down, which leads to gradual weight gain.
Foods rich in easily digestible carbohydrates cannot be digested properly unless you balance your diet with foods that contain enough proteins. An incorrect diet of a woman leads to the fact that the fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy already develops a predisposition to excess weight. This is where childhood obesity occurs.
Obesity symptoms
Constantly increasing body weight is the main symptom of obesity. Against the background of excess weight, symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling of the lower extremities, increased appetite appear, while patients prefer fat And heavy food. Patients may also be bothered by attacks of night hunger and. In women, changes affect the genital area, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, and signs may appear; in men, it decreases. Hyperpigmentation of the skin may also occur, especially on the hands and elbows, as well as the appearance of small stretch marks ( striae ) on the neck, thighs and abdomen.
These symptoms of obesity appear long before excess weight begins to interfere with the normal rhythm of life, so many patients do not consider their weight to be overweight. In the first stages of the disease, a person’s weight increases up to 20% and gradually increases. An equally important sign of the disease is hypertension. tends to settle on the walls of blood vessels, thereby impeding blood flow.
Fat deposits can be distributed evenly, and a person does not pay attention to the appearance of excess weight for a long time. When accumulation occurs in certain places, signs of obesity are more noticeable. In children, this localized obesity leads to stunted growth.
Obesity in children most often develops due to acquired metabolic disorders, as well as heredity. Typically, obesity can be observed at 1 year, and at 10-15 years. In children 10-15 years old, the cause of obesity is usually hypothalamic syndrome, which is characterized by the appearance of stretch marks on the hips, buttocks, and mammary glands. An increase in blood pressure is observed, and an increase in intracranial pressure is also possible.
Diagnosis of obesity
The World Health Organization classifies obesity by BMI, i.e. body mass index. BMI is calculated by the ratio of weight per square centimeter of body area. If the BMI is equal to or greater than 25, then it is simple overweight , if 30 or more - obesity . As a classification option, BMI ranks first in terms of methods for identifying excess weight, since it is the same for both sexes and all age categories.
Accurate calculations BMI are produced according to the following formulas:
- less than 0.0185 g/sq. see – underweight (dystrophy);
- 0.0185-0.0249 g/sq. cm - normal body weight;
- 0.025-0.0299 g/sq. see – excess weight;
- 0.030-0.0349 g/sq. see – first degree of obesity;
- 0.035-0.039 g/sq. see – second degree of obesity;
- more than 0.040 g/sq. see – third degree of obesity.
With fourth degree obesity, the actual body weight exceeds the ideal weight by more than 100%.
To measure body weight in people over 65 years of age, athletes, pregnant women and children, amendments are made to these formulas.
Diagnosis of obesity is also carried out using the formula for calculating BMI Broca's index method. This method is based on the ratio of height and body weight. A normal ratio is considered to be one in which body weight equals height minus 100 in centimeters. But the calculation will be correct only within the range of 155-170 cm in height.
If a person suffers from obesity degrees I and II, then he has complaints of weakness, drowsiness, a sharp decrease in mood, increased irritability. Chronic symptoms and nausea may also bother you. Appears during exercise tachycardia And shortness of breath . With stage I obesity, the patient experiences shortness of breath when performing moderate-intensity physical exercise, but performance remains at the same level. Even with stage II obesity, performance is significantly reduced; the patient complains of swelling of the legs, as well as pain in the spine.
In case of obesity of the third degree, a person develops body disproportion, shortness of breath worries me almost constantly, blood circulation is impaired. Against the background of general lethargy and apathy, the patient’s appetite is increased. IV degree obesity is characterized by the fact that a person becomes disabled, his mental state is disturbed, he doesn’t care about anything except food.
To diagnose obesity, several factors must be taken into account. Firstly, the age of the patient is taken into account when the first signs of the disease appeared, recent changes in body weight, lifestyle, food preferences, presence, intensity of physical activity, use of various medications (hormones, various nutritional supplements, laxatives).
Thus, to diagnose overweight or obesity, the doctor determines BMI in order to classify the disease by severity, determines the ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference to determine the nature of the distribution of fatty tissue in the body, and then measures blood pressure. After this, the patient is sent for tests. Laboratory blood tests are performed to determine the level cholesterol And lipoproteins high and low density to identify disorders of fat metabolism, as well as echocardiography to determine pathologies of the heart and the entire circulatory system. In case of menstrual irregularities, gynecological examinations and ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs are performed.
Complications of obesity
Obesity is characterized as a disease in which the patient has excess fat deposits, which create additional stress on the body. musculoskeletal system
, cardiovascular
And respiratory system
. Therefore, complications are primarily manifested by diseases of these systems and organs. Obesity is dangerous to health, to longevity, and can lead to premature death.
Obesity very often leads to the development of circulatory disorders, diseases of the heart, joints, liver and biliary tract, as well as diabetes. With obesity, the likelihood of thrombosis in the veins of the legs is 2.5 times higher than in people of normal weight. Obese women under 40 years of age are at greatest risk of thrombosis.
Fat tends to accumulate in men's abdominal cavity ( abdominal obesity ), and in women - on the buttocks and thighs ( pelvic obesity ). With abdominal obesity, the likelihood of the appearance and development of coronary heart disease increases many times over, which leads to increased blood pressure, increased fat content in the blood and the development non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus . Losing weight leads to a decrease in blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension, and in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes it allows stopping drug therapy.
On the part of the digestive organs, such complications of obesity develop as: pancreatitis , cholelithiasis .
Obese patients are often susceptible to the formation of malignant tumors. In men they strike prostate gland And rectum , and for women - uterus , ovaries And mammary gland . In addition, menstrual irregularities and gallbladder diseases occur in such women much more often than in women of normal weight. All this leads to reproductive dysfunction.
Obesity treatment
To lose weight, obese patients need to consume fewer calories than they burn. There are three methods to achieve this goal:
- self-help;
- psychological methods;
- clinical programs.
In the case of self-help, patients independently, or in special groups, relying on developed weight loss techniques, try normalize your diet, do physical education. Psychological methods of losing weight include motivating yourself to lose weight, for example, the desire to surprise everyone around you with your beauty and slimness, or to wear a new dress in a small size. Such motivation must be relevant and related to the person’s life position. Such motivation should be combined with a proper diet and daily physical activity.
It is very important to treat obesity comprehensively, i.e. strive to reduce body weight in various ways, through diet therapy, physiotherapy, exercise and medication.
A comprehensive obesity treatment program usually consists of two stages: weight loss stage (approximately 3-6 months) and mass stabilization stage (6 months).
In addition, nutritionists teach obese patients to eat properly, monitor their health and the quality of their diet. It is very important that the patient understands the need to change his eating habits and lifestyle.
Obesity treatment programs teach you how to eat right, how you need to change your lifestyle and eating habits to achieve results. To do this, doctors recommend a balanced low-calorie diet based on reducing the consumption of carbohydrates and fats of animal origin, while maintaining the required amount of proteins, vitamins, and minerals in the diet. Doctors will help you select products individually, taking into account the patient’s age, degree of obesity, taste and lifestyle. You should not starve or use diets with severe restrictions on fats and carbohydrates. Introduce into the diet foods high in fiber , which contribute to rapid saturation and acceleration of the passage of foods through the intestines (bran, green beans, oats, whole wheat). Meals should be fairly frequent (5-6 times a day). Fasting days (once a week) are also useful. For those who suffer from degree I-II obesity, doctors recommend moderately limiting fat intake.
An individual system of physical activity is developed for the patient, taking into account his lifestyle and changes in diet. The most effective is daily morning exercises , and, i.e. brisk walking, jogging, cycling, aerobics, football. These classes should be systematic and frequent (3-5 times a week). You need to choose those physical activities that bring you pleasure. A professional fitness trainer will not only monitor its implementation, but also adjust it depending on the patient’s condition. If an obese patient has heart disease, vascular disease, the load should be light, focusing on the pulse.
Drug therapy helps to increase the effectiveness of other treatment methods, and in patients with stage II obesity, drug treatment begins simultaneously with changes in lifestyle and nutrition. However, drug therapy is not recommended for pregnant women, children, and patients over 65 years of age.
Among the medications used to treat obesity, doctors prescribe drugs that suppress appetite, promote the release of retained fluids in the body, increase energy expenditure, and reduce the absorption of nutrients in the body. For example, it prevents the absorption of fats in the intestines, but its side effect is the presence of loose stools. helps reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure, but affects the cardiovascular system. Drugs can also be used to normalize hormonal levels. Medicines for weight loss should only be prescribed by your doctor. However, many patients supplement their treatment with special teas and mixtures for weight loss, as well as dietary supplements .
In case of obesity against the background of other diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, digestive organs, the underlying disease must be treated.
Also, psychocorrection sessions can be conducted with the patient, during which the psychotherapist will help understand the causes of obesity.
For the treatment of patients with stage IV obesity surgical treatment of obesity. Such operations should be performed exclusively in institutions that specialize in this type of surgery and only by qualified surgeons. It is in this case that patients tolerate surgery better, and complications occur in less than 10% of high-risk patients. There are several surgical methods for treating obesity: – removal of excess fatty tissue from under the skin; – removal of the large belly, installation of gastric rings that help reduce the volume of the stomach, which helps accelerate saturation; bypass enteroanastomoses , in which parts of the small intestine are removed from the digestive system. Such operations can lead to sudden weight loss, about half of the patient's excess weight, and gradually slows down. Weight loss helps to improve the patient's general condition, increase his activity and performance, and his mood also improves. In addition, surgery reduces complications caused by obesity.
It is important to remember that weight loss is easier to achieve if you combine diet and exercise, physical therapy and medication. Thermal procedures have a beneficial effect on obese patients - mud procedures, hot dry-air baths, salt and pine baths, steaming, swimming in the pool, light-thermal baths, wet wraps. Also useful sauna – Finnish-style dry hot bath. It is advisable to use occupational therapy and general massage.
It is important to note that obesity in infants is solely a matter of diet; older children are treated in the same way as adults.
Nutrition for obesity
Since the main cause of obesity is binge eating, then doctors advise regulating nutrition; the same recommendations include the prevention of obesity. It is important that food with a small amount of calories causes a feeling of fullness. When preparing dishes for an obese patient, try not to add salt to the food. Limit the consumption of foods high in carbohydrates - bread, flour, sugar, cereals, potatoes, and various sweets. You can eat black bread and bran bread in the amount of 300 g per day. Fats in the diet are limited, but not completely eliminated; they can be 50-75 g per day. Cholesterol-rich foods - liver, egg yolk - are removed from the diet. It is better to use unrefined vegetable oil, approximately 25-30 ml. in a day. Alcohol is prohibited. Doctors allow you to have a cottage cheese day, when you are allowed to consume 60 g of sour cream, 600 g of cottage cheese, 2 glasses of coffee (with milk and without sugar) and 2 glasses of rosehip decoction. As well as fruit and vegetable days, when consumption of 1.5 kg is allowed. raw vegetables or fruits for 5-6 meals, apple day (2 kg of raw apples), or meat day, when 250-350 g of boiled meat is allowed for 5-6 meals, and a boiled side dish without salt, 2 cups of rosehip decoction .
In case of obesity of III-IV degrees, patients completely remove cereals and pasta, sugar, honey, sweets from the diet, while simultaneously increasing the amount of vegetables consumed and vegetable salads seasoned with vegetable oil are especially useful. Also for such patients, it can be used, which is carried out in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor.
The main diet for obesity is diet number eight. This diet is based on reducing the calorie intake due to easily digestible carbohydrates with an increased protein content. It contains an increased amount of proteins (120 g), a reduced amount of fat (70 g), 200-250 g of carbohydrates, 1 liter of liquid. Diet number eight allows only boiled, baked and stewed foods. The consumption of fried foods and foods that stimulate the appetite, seasonings, and spices is limited. For drinks and sweet dishes, xylitol or sorbitol is used. If you follow diet No. 8, the following are allowed:
- rye and wheat bread;
- vegetable soups, beetroot soup, okroshka, borscht, low-fat meat broths;
- lean varieties of fish and meat;
- up to 1.5 eggs per day;
- kefir, milk, low-fat cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt, butter - limited;
- buckwheat, barley and pearl barley crumbly porridges;
- cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini;
- unsweetened berries, fruits, compotes;
- mineral water, tea, coffee with milk (without sugar), vegetable, berry and fruit juices.
White bread, butter dough, fatty meat and fish, sausages, smoked meats, fatty cottage cheese, fatty cheeses, cream, semolina, rice, pickled vegetables, grapes, sugar, sweets, ice cream, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish are completely excluded from the diet for obesity. , chocolate.
Although diet number eight allows you to “lose” a few kilograms in the first month, it should be followed for a long time. With the right approach, monthly weight loss will be 1-2 kg, and this will not negatively affect overall health, as often happens with other diets.
If there are diseases associated with obesity, the use of diet No. 8 should be agreed with the attending physician.
You can start keeping a food diary, where you can write down what you ate, how much, when and why. It will help during the first stages of treatment, when your lifestyle and eating style change very seriously.
Obesity prevention
Prevention of obesity comes down to eliminating and maintaining a balanced diet. To prevent the development of obesity in an infant, you need to systematically weigh him, especially if there is a hereditary predisposition to obesity. It is very important to organize proper nutrition in adolescents, as well as timely identification of diseases that are accompanied by endocrine or hypothalamic obesity .
Education: Graduated from Vitebsk State Medical University with a degree in Surgery. At the university he headed the Council of the Student Scientific Society. Advanced training in 2010 - in the specialty "Oncology" and in 2011 - in the specialty "Mammology, visual forms of oncology".
Experience: Worked in a general medical network for 3 years as a surgeon (Vitebsk Emergency Hospital, Liozno Central District Hospital) and part-time as a district oncologist and traumatologist. Work as a pharmaceutical representative for a year at the Rubicon company.
Presented 3 rationalization proposals on the topic “Optimization of antibiotic therapy depending on the species composition of microflora”, 2 works took prizes in the republican competition-review of student scientific works (categories 1 and 3).
Excess fat accumulation occurs gradually for many people. Weight gain in these cases goes unnoticed for a long time, and therefore the time is often missed when it was possible to easily lose excess weight and maintain it in the future within normal limits.
What weight is considered normal and what is considered overweight?
There are significant discrepancies in the definition of normal weight in the literature. This is apparently due to the fact that a person’s weight significantly depends on his individual characteristics, in particular, gender, age, height and constitution (physique).
American experts say that by the age of 25-30, the period of completion of growth and physical development, weight reaches its optimal value. In the future, a person should strive to maintain this weight.
Russian scientists allow some increase in weight with age, not exceeding 8 percent of normal weight, and consider this to be quite physiological.
Body features give quite significant fluctuations. People with an asthenic constitution are characterized by a long and thin neck, narrow shoulders and chest, long, relatively thin legs, poorly developed muscles and subcutaneous tissue. Height is often above average.
A normosthenic constitution is characterized by a proportional body build, average development of the bones and muscular system, and predominantly normal growth. A hypersthenic constitution is characterized by a short neck, broad shoulders, a short and wide chest, good development of the skeletal and muscular systems and the subcutaneous fat layer. Height is usually average.
Body weight is not always directly related to the amount of fat tissue. For its standards, the development of muscles, the skeletal system, and the state of water metabolism are important.
Taking into account gender, height, constitution, age, special tables have been developed in our country and abroad that are used to establish normal or ideal weight.
Thus, at the clinic of the Institute of Nutrition of the Academy of Medical Sciences, M. N. Egorov and L. M. Levitsky compiled a simple and easy-to-use table, from which one can easily determine the maximum normal weight for men and women. Knowing the actual weight determined during weighing, it is easy to calculate the percentage of excess weight in relation to the maximum normal weight.
| Maximum normal weight of men and women of normal build depending on height and age, kg | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height, cm | 29-30 years old | 30-39 years old | 40-49 years old | 50-59 years old | 60-69 years old | |||||
| men | women | men | women | men | women | men | women | men | women | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 148 | 50,8 | 48,4 | 55,0 | 52,3 | 56,6 | 54,7 | 56,0 | 53,2 | 53,9 | 52,2 |
| 150 | 51,3 | 48,9 | 56,7 | 53,9 | 58,1 | 56,5 | 58,0 | 55,7 | 57,3 | 54,8 |
| 152 | 51,3 | 51,0 | 58,7 | 55,0 | 61,5 | 59,5 | 61,1 | 57,6 | 60,3 | 55,9 |
| 154 | 55,3 | 53,0 | 61,6 | 59,1 | 64,5 | 62,4 | 63,8 | 60,2 | 61,9 | 59,0 |
| 156 | 58,5 | 55,8 | 64,4 | 61,5 | 67,3 | 66,0 | 65,8 | 62,4 | 63,7 | 60,9 |
| 158 | 61,2 | 58,1 | 67,3 | 64,1 | 70,4 | 67,9 | 68,0 | 64,5 | 67,0 | 62,4 |
| 160 | 62,9 | 59,8 | 69,2 | 65,8 | 72,3 | 69,9 | 69,7 | 65,8 | 68,2 | 64,6 |
| 162 | 64,6 | 61,6 | 71,0 | 68,5 | 74,4 | 72,2 | 72,7 | 68,7 | 69,1 | 66,5 |
| 164 | 67,3 | 63,6 | 73,9 | 70,8 | 77,2 | 74,0 | 75,6 | 72,0 | 72,2 | 70,0 |
| 166 | 68,8 | 65,2 | 74,5 | 71,8 | 78,0 | 76,5 | 76,3 | 73,8 | 74,3 | 71,5 |
| 168 | 70,8 | 68,5 | 76,2 | 73,7 | 79,7 | 78,2 | 77,9 | 74,8 | 76,0 | 73,3 |
| 170 | 72,7 | 69,2 | 77,7 | 75,8 | 81,0 | 79,8 | 79,6 | 76,8 | 76,9 | 75,0 |
| 172 | 74,1 | 72,8 | 79,3 | 77,0 | 82,8 | 81,7 | 81,1 | 77,7 | 78,3 | 76,3 |
| 174 | 77,5 | 74,3 | 80,8 | 79,0 | 84,4 | 83,7 | 82,5 | 79,4 | 79,3 | 78,0 |
| 176 | 80,8 | 76,8 | 83,3 | 79,9 | 86,0 | 84,6 | 84,1 | 80,5 | 81,9 | 79,1 |
| 178 | 83,0 | 78,2 | 85,6 | 82,4 | 88,0 | 86,1 | 86,5 | 82,4 | 82,8 | 80,9 |
| 180 | 85,1 | 80,9 | 88,0 | 83,9 | 89,9 | 88,1 | 87,5 | 84,1 | 84,4 | 81,6 |
| 182 | 87,2 | 83,3 | 90,6 | 87,7 | 91,4 | 89,3 | 89,5 | 86,5 | 85,4 | 82,9 |
| 184 | 89,1 | 85,5 | 92,0 | 89,4 | 92,0 | 90,9 | 91,6 | 87,4 | 88,0 | 8,8 |
| 186 | 91,3 | 89,2 | 95,0 | 91,0 | 96,6 | 92,9 | 92,8 | 89,6 | 89,0 | 87,3 |
| 188 | 95,8 | 91,8 | 97,0 | 94,4 | 98,0 | 95,8 | 95,0 | 91,5 | 91,5 | 88,8 |
| 190 | 97,1 | 92,3 | 99,5 | 95,6 | 100,7 | 97,4 | 99,4 | 95,6 | 94,8 | 92,9 |
|
Note: With an asthenic constitution, 3-5% is subtracted from the weight indicated in the table. For hypersthenic - add 1-2%. An example of calculating the degree of obesity: a man of normosthenic constitution, 50 years old, with a height of 166 cm, weighs 105 kg. The excess is (105 - 76.3) : 0.76 = 37%, which corresponds to stage II obesity. |
||||||||||
The American Life Insurance Society widely uses tables to determine the optimal (ideal) weight for people of different genders and ages.
The tables proposed by American experts are not without drawbacks: they do not have weight gradations for individual age periods, and the ideal weight values, depending on the characteristics of the constitution, fluctuate within too wide limits (11-16 kg).
To determine the ideal weight, Academician A. A. Pokrovsky proposed a nomograph, which also allows you to quickly calculate the daily requirement for basic nutrients in certain groups of people, depending on professional characteristics, sports, and physical work during off-duty hours.
A number of indicators are also used to judge normal weight. The simplest is Broca's index: subtract 100 from the height expressed in centimeters and get the value of normal body weight, expressed in kilograms. Let's assume that a person's height is 170 cm. Then his normal weight will be 70 kg. This indicator applies only to people of average height. For higher and lower growth, additional amendments are used.
Weight above normal up to 10 percent is considered an option for “increased general nutrition.” Body weight is considered overweight if it exceeds the maximum normal weight by 10 percent or more. In this case, the term “obesity” is used.
The degree of nutrition of a person can be checked by measuring the thickness of the skin fold. It is best performed in a standing position, slightly leaning forward, between the midline and nipple lines at the level of the navel. Normally, the thickness of this fold should not exceed 2-3 cm in a person under 30 years of age, and 3-4 cm in an older person.
Were you able to spend at least 30 minutes of physical activity today? If “NO”, then this is the place for you.
The world is getting heavier... especially in the Western Hemisphere. Especially in the US, where obesity is now the leading preventable cause of death, having recently overtaken smoking.
Think about the following numbers. Only one third of the US population over the age of 20 is not overweight.
The other third, according to statistics, is the category of “very overweight people” who, professionally speaking, belong to a group at increased risk of developing chronic diseases: cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, etc.
As surprising as this may sound to us, many of the fat people have no idea or do not want to realize what real danger they are exposing their health by ignoring the problem of excess weight. Turning to the statistical data of research organizations, we have to state the following:
The problem of excess weight is no longer a characteristic of the affluent West. Over the past three decades, the rate of increase in the number of obese people worldwide has doubled. According to scientists, in 2008 their share of the entire population of the planet was 10% of men and 14% of women. What awaits us next?.. And is it really possible to stop the obesity epidemic spreading across the planet?
The main factors behind the steady increase in the number of obese people on the planet are the following three:
— psychology and relations in society,
- lifestyle (poor nutrition and physical inactivity) and
- rate of weight loss for obese people (if they try).
Of the three reasons for the steady increase in obesity, it is recognized that the first factor - social relations - has the greatest influence. What we just saw in the video and the very fact of its popularization is clear confirmation of this.
It is predicted that in just the next decade the number of “very fat” Americans could jump from 34% (2010 data) to 42%.
What does this mean for the individual?
According to medical textbooks, obesity as such is still not recognized as a disease. But it has long been proven that this state of the body is the key to the accumulation of a whole bunch of metabolic changes that provoke chronic diseases.
Excess weight (not just obesity!) leads to negative metabolic effects in the form of increased blood pressure, glucose levels and blood fat levels. These manifestations are called "intermediate risk factors."
Being overweight puts you at increased risk for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, strokes and heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, some common cancers, arthritis and other health problems. The likelihood of developing hypertension and type 2 diabetes increases sharply as body fat increases.
Chronic diseases, considered a disease of adults in the 20th century, are now far from uncommon among young Americans who have not yet reached puberty. In the United States, of all people with diabetes, approximately 85% are those with type 2 diabetes. Of these, 90% are overweight people. The risk of certain types of cancer - breast cancer, rectal cancer, prostate cancer, etc. directly depends on body weight and begins to increase already within normal weight limits. From this point of view, a weight located closer to the lower limit in the normal weight range is considered safer.
What threatens mass obesity throughout America?
— Payments for medical services from insurance companies may increase in 2018 to $344 billion, representing 21% of all medical costs. In 2008, more than 9% was spent on obesity-related medical bills, which in turn is 2 times higher than the previous figure ten years ago...
— Mortality from diseases caused by obesity, now outstrips the number of deaths from smoking (there is less smoking, but the appetite has gotten out of control);
— Excessive obesity can significantly shorten human life(on average 12 years). Obesity combined with smoking, according to studies, can cost up to 20 years of lost life.
What is normal and overweight? How is obesity diagnosed?
Ultra-modern body fat mass meters are widely used in weight loss clinics and fitness centers. However, you can accurately assess the “content” of your physique at home, using other, simplified methods.
Body mass index (BMI) is the most common indicator of excess weight. It is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. The following gradation is used:
- If BMI is less than 18.5, then the person is clearly underweight
- 19−24.5 — normal weight
- 25 to 30 - indicates excess weight
- 30 and above - obesity
For reference: The average BMI of the population of Africa and Asia is 22−23, America and Europe is 25−27, the USA is 28.
To make it easier to determine your body mass index, Internet networks offer programs that allow you to find out your BMI without the help of a calculator.
Despite its prevalence and convenience, BMI is not a perfect indicator, since it is calculated using a formula that includes only height and body weight, and does not directly indicate the level of fat in the body, bone and muscle mass, water (although it is assumed that the higher the BMI , the higher the fat content).
This error increases greatly in the case of an athletic body type. The fact is that muscle tissue, which is 75% water, is much heavier than fat tissue, which contains only 10% of its mass water. Therefore, for athletes who have massively pumped up muscles, body mass index cannot serve as an absolute characteristic.
Compare people with the same BMI
Other easily measured characteristics of body fat mass are well known to us from the days of cutting and sewing lessons waist and hip measurements. At that time, we had no idea about the more scientific use of measuring tape other than in sewing. In practice, this method has proven to be highly accurate in diagnosing excess weight. The method is very accessible to everyone. (Unless, of course, you, like me, still keep a measuring tape at home. If not, I recommend purchasing it just in case.)
So the next indicator is waist circumference in cm (OT). The critical numbers denoting the boundary of the obesity zone are:
- For men - 102 cm
- For women - 88 cm
In other words, if the waist circumference exceeds 102 cm for a man and 88 cm for a woman, then those with a tummy are automatically classified as obese.
Third coefficient used for reinsurance, completely eliminating the inaccuracy of the previous two and characterizes the distribution of fat layers. This indicator represents ratio of waist to hips - (W/W). If it
- greater than 0.95 for men and 0.86 for women (under 60 years of age);
- greater than 1.03 for men and 0.90 for women (over 60 years of age),
then the result is the same - abdominal obesity is diagnosed
The last two indicators, despite their primitivism, are considered very accurate in diagnosing obesity, since they directly take into account the accumulation of the most harmful fat in the body - visceral fat, located in the deep abdominal region (abdomen) around vital internal organs. It is this type of body fat that is associated with unstable insulin action, an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
So, in order to determine whether a person belongs to a risk group, it is necessary to determine 3 indicators: BMI, OSH and OSH/OB.
If at least one of them is “off scale,” then the problem of obesity is present.
Homework. Even if you have no concerns about your physique, I recommend checking yourself. Stock up on a measuring tape and measure all the parameters - waist and hip circumference. Find the ratio. Knowing your weight and height, calculate your BMI. If you find that at least one of the 3 indicators exceeds the permissible limits, then you yourself now know where you are. I am sure that this will be a revelation for many.
What to do if this is you?
First of all, don’t panic and remember that there is always a way out! According to recent research, to exit the prediabetic state, it is enough to lose only 4% of body weight. The main thing is to get in the right mood, recharge yourself with the necessary knowledge, medical and public support, etc. forward!
On the Internet you can find many sites created specifically to help those who want to have a healthy weight make their dreams come true.
Next, you should seriously reconsider your habits, lifestyle and understand whether you can cope with the task on your own (you will need knowledge, willpower and patience), or you should still turn to professionals: a fitness center trainer and a nutritionist.
Conclusion
America has taught the world a serious lesson with its permissive attitude towards the issue of excess weight, maintaining a taboo on the topic for so long. Silence is tantamount to doom, a sentence. If you know someone who falls into this category (maybe it’s you yourself?), please do everything to ensure that there aren’t too many “good people”, try to find an opportunity to reduce the ominous statistics of the growing “army of the group” risk."
Some people say that your ideal weight is what you were when you were eighteen. Unfortunately, not everyone manages to maintain a slim figure. Some people have to fight acquired eating habits and change their diet in order to achieve visible results - a thin waist and a feeling of lightness. If physical inactivity and poor nutrition have led you to become overweight, bordering on obesity, you urgently need to take control of the situation and start working on yourself.
On many forums, the question remains relevant: “How to understand that you are overweight and determine how much you need to lose?” In this article we will analyze the most well-known methods and find out whether they are effective.
Let us immediately warn you that not all of the methods listed below will help you find out the truth about your body. Most of them are still very popular, but do not give accurate results. To understand how many kilograms separate you from being slim, you need to determine your body composition. To do this, you need to undergo a procedure that is presented at the Slavic Clinic.
This method is considered one of the most effective and informative. It allows you not only to analyze the composition of the body, but also to find out how metabolism proceeds. The procedure is carried out under the supervision of a specialist, using a special apparatus. The examination does not take much time, is comfortable, painless and absolutely harmless. Based on its results, we see an objective picture that allows us to diagnose the amount of excess fat mass in the body with an accuracy of up to a kilogram. Based on this analysis, our specialists create an individual weight loss program for each client of the clinic. An objective study shows not only the amount of excess fat accumulation, but also the volume of fluid, as well as muscle mass. This allows us to reduce your weight without compromising your physiological health, and prevents dehydration and muscle deficiency. We work only with fatty tissue that has accumulated not only under the skin, but also in the internal organs. This approach to weight loss will allow you to lose 10-25 kg in one course of the Transformation ® program and gain slimness and health for many years.
What leads to weight gain
Every 10 years, energy costs are reduced by 10%. We ourselves don’t notice how our body takes on a rounded shape, and then we diligently lose weight - we go on diets, limit ourselves in everything, even starve, in order to fit into our favorite jeans, get rid of the load on our internal organs, and avoid diseases. All to no avail - only two things are truly effective: proper nutrition and proper attitude.
But to start the fight against extra pounds, you need to understand what led to the problem. There are many reasons:
Prolonged stress
Everyone relieves nervous tension differently. Some people dance, some watch melodramas, some eat too much. Confectionery and fast food most often act as antidepressants. It is not surprising that on such “medicines” for melancholy and sadness, we gain weight day after day.
Taking medications
If you regularly use antibiotics, oral contraceptives, steroids or hormonal drugs, you have a good chance of gaining weight. These drugs directly or indirectly affect the condition of our figure. The way out of the situation is to contact your doctor with a request to reduce the dosage, stop self-medication and self-prescription of medications that can cause obesity or lead to other adverse consequences.
Improper and irregular nutrition
Do you eat when you have to and always take an extra portion? Do you prefer fast food, sweets, semi-finished products, fatty, fried and flour-based foods? Then you risk not only gaining weight, but also developing diabetes, early atherosclerosis and other equally dangerous diseases that go hand in hand with being overweight.
Lack of proper sleep
Researchers have proven that a person who does not get enough sleep every night for a week lives with elevated insulin levels. As a result, a special condition develops: decreased sensitivity to the action of insulin, which leads to diabetes. Intermittent or short sleep leads to a shortening of the fat breakdown phase and a slowdown in metabolism. So by choosing a night vigil instead of a full night's sleep, you are harming yourself and your figure.
And these are not all the reasons: the list of factors influencing our weight includes fluctuations in the menstrual cycle, food allergies, and insufficient fluid intake.
But before you go to a specialist and change your diet, you need to determine whether we need to lose weight. Many people go on diets even with a body weight that is completely normal for their own body composition, because they strive to be like supermodels from glossy magazines and do not want to feel like a “plump” among “skinny” women. This desire is dangerous due to exhaustion and the acquisition of new health problems.
Find out more about our weight loss programs:
How to find out if you are overweight: start counting
There are several popular formulas for calculating ideal weight. This:
Broca's formula
For men: (height – 100) 1.15
For women: (height – 110) · 1.15.
Let's give an example. Let's calculate the ideal weight for a woman who is 167 cm:
(167-110) 1.15 = 65.55
Let's round it up. It turns out that the ideal is 65 kg.
This option has been improved. Initially, the formula looked different: it was necessary to simply subtract 100 for men and 110 for women from height in centimeters. This option caused a lot of criticism because it did not take into account how old the person was and what type of body type he had. What did the process change change? The results are quite realistic, but the old problems have not gone away: people with heavy bones and large muscles or women with an hourglass figure are unlikely to be happy with what they see after the calculations.
Lorentz formula
It is also often called “Lorenz's dream”. According to it, the ideal weight is calculated as follows:
(height – 100) – (height – 150)/2
We take 167 cm again. We substitute and calculate:
(167 – 100) – (167 – 150)/2 =58, 5
As you can see, the figure is different from the previous one. I'll have to lose 6.5 kg more. It is believed that this formula is for those who are more demanding of themselves. It is completely consistent with BMI. However, it has its drawbacks: it is not suitable for women whose height is more than 175 cm.
Quetelet index
To determine it, you need to square your height (m). Later, your weight in kg must be divided by the result obtained. With a weight of 70 kg for 167 cm it looks like this:
70/ (1.67·1.67) = 70/2.7889= 25.099501596
We look at a special table where the optimal values are indicated.
It turns out that 70 kg for a height of 167 cm is excess body weight, which increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Another calculation formula for those who want to know how to determine their excess weight is BMI. Its creator is Adolphe Quetelet, so we will get the same results. It is no different from the Quetelet index: you need to divide your weight (kg) by height (m)2. The obtained result is compared with the values presented in the table above.
All of these formulas may seem like a great way to determine your ideal body weight. However, experts warn that healthy weight limits can fluctuate, and no formula will help determine a normal value because it does not take into account body composition.
How to find out how much excess weight you have gained: Egorov-Levitsky table
With this method there is no need to divide, subtract or multiply. All you have to do is step on the scale, determine your height and look at the table. Please note: these are maximum values.
Here, not only height and weight are taken into account, but also age. There is no minimum limit. But this is not so important, since our main task is to determine whether there is excess body weight.
We looked at the basic formulas and ways to find out if you are so far from ideal. Their main drawback is one-sidedness. They help to consider the problem from only one side, while solving it requires an integrated approach.
There are also many programs on the Internet that work as a universal calculator, allowing you to calculate your ideal body weight and find out if you are overweight. They are the same in terms of operation:
You must indicate gender, age, height in centimeters and weight in kilograms.
Afterwards, you may be asked to choose a level of physical activity (sedentary lifestyle, exercise 1 to 2 or 3 to 5 times a week) and a goal (maintain weight, lose 0.5 or 1 kg per week, gain).
After getting acquainted with such a service, one thing can be said: no program can replace consultation with a specialist.
How to calculate whether you are overweight and how much you need to lose: determining body composition
To understand whether body weight is excessive, formulas alone are not enough. You need to know exactly what percentage of fat is in your body.
Our body needs fat deposits - this is surprising, but:
They create an energy reserve - when no other energy sources are supplied, everything that we have accumulated is consumed.
They retain heat - thin people can feel cold even on a cool summer day. All this is due to the fact that adipose tissue is a unique heat insulator.
However, being overweight is a problem that needs to be dealt with. In women, deposits most often form in the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and breasts. For men - above the waist, on the stomach.
The optimal amount of fat for representatives of the stronger half of humanity is up to 20%, for lovely ladies – no more than 25%. But an extremely low indicator is not the norm. It leads to health problems - from deterioration of hair and joints to hormonal imbalances and menstrual irregularities.
How to determine if a person is overweight: ways to measure body composition
Anthropometry is a simple tape measurement. This method is used by most men and women around the world. An increase in biceps means an increase in muscle mass, but if your waist size has increased, it’s time to think about changing your diet.
Are there any disadvantages to this method? Yes, it is subjective, and the very dynamics of changes, like the percentage of fat, can only be known approximately.
Calculation of excess weight in women using ultrasound and weighing in water: how to understand that it’s time to lose weight
The first method is evaluated in different ways. Experts pay attention to the fact that fabrics of different densities transmit acoustic vibrations in different ways. In theory, this method is one of the most reliable. In practice, it can show paradoxical results - for example, an excess amount of body fat in an athlete who is fit and working on his figure.
Hydrostatic weighing is another method that modern experts offer. It is based on the well-known laws of physics:
First, you are immersed in a bathtub filled with water. In this case, the volume of leaked liquid will be equal to the volume of the body.
Afterwards, the resulting volume is compared with your weight, and the percentage of subcutaneous fat is determined.
This method has its drawbacks. This is both its impracticality and high cost. And you are unlikely to want to repeat this procedure.
Now let’s return to the most accurate method, which we already talked about at the beginning of the article - BIA or bioimpedance analysis.
What is BIA
If you want to learn how to determine your excess weight and understand whether you are overweight, this method is for you. Bioimpedance measurement is an opportunity to conduct an extremely informative analysis of body composition. As a result, you will be able to get a clear idea of how metabolism occurs in your body, as well as:
Find out what weight is ideal for you.
Determine how many kilograms you can lose.
Identify fluid retention in tissues.
Understand how body weight is distributed.
BIA allows you to determine:
The total mass of muscles, internal organs, brain, bones.
Features of metabolic processes.
You can undergo this useful procedure at the Slavic Clinic. Immediately after analyzing your body composition, you can consult a nutritionist to determine the optimal weight loss program for you.
To find out how to calculate excess weight by height and body type, determine the speed of metabolic processes and understand how much you need to lose, come to us. We offer our clients one of the most effective and accurate methods for determining the characteristics of your metabolism and calculating the percentage of body fat - BIA or bioimpedance analysis. Contact us and get rid of extra pounds without harm to your health. With us, you will see from your own experience that you can lose weight without denying yourself anything by eating healthy and balanced.
Overweight
Overweight is a condition characterized by excess fat deposition in the subcutaneous tissue and other tissues of the body, as well as an excess of the normal (ideal) body weight of a person by 15-20%; if this figure is higher, we can talk about obesity.
If energy consumption exceeds its expenditure for a long time, this leads to a pronounced accumulation of adipose tissue in the body. Thus, consuming just 5% of “extra” calories can contribute to the accumulation of about 5 kg of adipose tissue per year. If over 30 years, intake exceeds expenditure by just 8 kcal per day, this can lead to a 10 kg increase in body weight. These figures reflect the average rate of weight gain over 30 years (from 25 to 55 years) in adults.
Maintaining a healthy body weight by reducing the amount of excess fat is vital if you want to be healthy and if you need to cope with certain diseases. There is medical evidence that obesity poses a huge health threat and reduces life expectancy.
If you're obese, you spend more effort breathing because your heart has to do more work to push blood to your lungs and to every organ in your body (including excess fat). This increased load may cause your heart to become larger, resulting in increased blood pressure and arrhythmia.
People who are obese are characterized by increased levels of cholesterol in the blood, which leads to the development of atherosclerosis (narrowing of blood vessels due to the formation of plaques). When the blood vessels become so narrow that vital organs such as the brain, heart or kidneys are not adequately supplied with blood, life is at risk. In addition, narrowing of blood vessels leads to increased blood pressure and difficulty in the heart. High blood pressure itself is dangerous to health and can lead, for example, to a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. About 25% of all cardiovascular problems are associated with obesity.
Clinical studies have shown that there is a relationship between excess fat and cancer. Adipose tissue itself is believed to contain carcinogens (chemicals that cause cancer) in both men and women. In women, excess fat is associated with an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer, and in men - colon and prostate cancer.
In obese people, the pancreas produces more and more insulin in order to regulate blood glucose levels. But the body is no longer able to use this insulin, and the whole system becomes suppressed. Failure in the regulation of blood glucose and insulin leads to the development of diabetes mellitus. Excess fat is also associated with gallbladder disease, gastrointestinal diseases, sexual dysfunction, osteoarthritis and stroke. You can find out what weight is normal for you in several ways.
Broca's formula. You need to subtract 100 from your height in centimeters. If your height is, say, 160 cm, your ideal body weight is: 160 – 100 = 60 kg. Normal weight may differ from ideal by 10% in one direction or another. Therefore, with a height of 1 m 60 cm, you can weigh from 54 to 66 kg - and this is normal. The described method was proposed by the French physician Paul Broca more than a hundred years ago. Modern nutritionists have made clarifications to this formula. The fact is that it is suitable for people of small stature (up to 165 cm). For those whose height is between 165 and 175 cm, the number 105 should be subtracted from it to determine the ideal weight; for those who are very tall (from 175 and above) - 110.
Lawrence formula. Ideal weight = (height in cm – 100) – (height in cm –150) / 2. With a height of 160 cm, for example, the ideal weight will be: (160 – 100) – (160 – 150) / 2 = 55 kg.
Küttl's formula. It does not determine your ideal weight, but your body mass index (BMI), which can then be used to judge how far you are from the ideal (or close to it). BMI = weight in kg / (height in meters)2.
If your BMI is less than 20, you are underweight; a normal weight is a BMI of 20 to 23; a BMI of 24 to 29 means you have a small amount of extra pounds; if your BMI is > 30, you should immediately go on a diet, otherwise you are at risk of obesity.
Let's say your height is 160 cm and your weight is 70 kg. We substitute these data into the formula for calculating BMI: 70 / 2.56 = 27.34. The index ranges from 24 to 29. This means that you are overweight. It's time to go on a diet.
This text is an introductory fragment.
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