Integritus Prime

Obesity is being very overweight with a lot of body fat, as we discussed in our Beyond Medicine: Lifestyle Demons series recently. This is determined by our height and what is the normal weight for that height. If we are overweight or obese then our body feels the stress in the form of lifestyle problems or diseases.

We become overweight or obese when we take in too many calories from the food we eat. When the energy produced from food is too much for what we need for daily activities, it is stored. Extra energy is stored as fat in various places in our body, such as, the liver, muscles and under the skin.

There are a number of ways to know if we are overweight or obese. One way is to measure the Body Mass Index (BMI). This is calculated by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by height squared (BMI = weight in Kilograms/Height in meters squared). For example, if my weight is 60 kilograms and height is 1.55 meters, then my BMI is 60 divide by 1.55 x 1.55, which is 25. BMI gives an indication of your body weight in relation to your height. Generally, BMI of 18 to 25 is considered normal; below 18 is considered underweight; 25 to 30 is considered overweight; 30 to 40 is obese and over 40 is severely obese. BMI is not always an accurate measure for obesity, as muscular people may have more muscle mass and not fat.

Measurement of waist circumference also helps predict obesity. Generally the waist circumference (measured at the navel) needs to be less than 102 centimeters (cm) in males and 88 cm in females. Different guidelines may have slightly different numbers; however, anything above 102 cm for males and 88 cm for females is associated with increased risks of obesity-related diseases.

There are other, more sophisticated ways of measuring body fat such as bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA), Densitometry (underwater weighing), Air-displacement plethysmography and DEXA scans. BMI and waist circumference measurements are fairly easy, require less equipment and serve the purpose of diagnosing obesity, warning us of impending health risks and setting the stage for healthy living.

Obesity is associated with a number of lifestyle diseases. In earlier blogs, we discussed the association of obesity with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases. In addition, obesity is also associated with cancers, strokes, kidney diseases, fatty liver, sleep apnea (feeling breathless while sleeping) and pregnancy problems such as developing diabetes and or high blood pressure during pregnancy.

To avoid becoming obese, we need to lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes taking nutritious foods, being active, dealing with stress, sleeping well and having healthy relationships. The type of food we eat matters a lot in balancing our energy input and output. When we eat refined, processed, packaged, fatty and fried foods and include a lot of animal products, the chances of gaining unnecessary weight is high.

Eating mainly plant-based foods, which are fresh, organic, high in fiber and highly nutritious are very helpful in keeping normal weight. Combined with regular physical activity, dealing adequately with stress and sleeping well also helps maintain healthy weight. In addition, a healthy weight improves self-esteem and keeps us positive.

The biases obese people face, even from doctors, can make a positive attitude difficult. Much more education and training is needed to ensure we treat people who are obese with dignity and respect.

Share with me what helps keep your weight in check and how this affects your daily life, at Margaret@alchemusprime.com.