World Obesity Day is celebrated this March 4 with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of preventing this disease which, in recent decades, has reached epidemic proportions, according to the World Health Organization.
According to data provided by World Obesity Day, there are currently approximately 800 million people in the world living with obesity and it is estimated that childhood obesity will increase by 60% in the next decade, reaching 250 million by 2030.
Obesity is a multifactorial disease, so its treatment must be approached in a multidisciplinary way. For this reason, it is essential that healthcare professionals have adequate resources to address the causes of this disease.
Obesity: one of the most prevalent and under-diagnosed diseases
Obesity is one of the fastest growing diseases, making it one of the most prevalent and yet least diagnosed. This disease is caused by an excessive accumulation of fat, which can be detrimental to health, because it increases the development of chronic, metabolic, mental, muscular and cardiovascular diseases, among many others. Consequently, it reduces the quality of life of those who suffer from it.
In the following video, Dr. Rull Lluch, specialist in General Surgery, explains in more detail what obesity is.
Why does obesity affect women more?
When it comes to obesity, women are a particularly vulnerable sector of the population.
This is due to the fact that women have a higher percentage of body fat than men. In fact, fat storage systems are more powerful in women. In addition, menopause is a stage in a woman’s life that affects muscle mass, since it generates a loss of muscle mass, increasing fat mass.
What are the factors that cause it?
Obesity is a very complex and multifactorial disease, so it has different causes. Among the most important causes are the following:
- A poor diet: in recent years, with the emergence of fast food and high-calorie beverages, there is a worldwide tendency to eat foods rich in fat, salt and sugars.
- Inactivity and lack of physical exercise: many people follow a sedentary lifestyle due to the automation of work activities and modern means of transport, which have a negative influence on the practice of physical exercise.
- Inherited genetic diseases: there are some genetic studies which have shown that obesity can be inherited.
- Age is one of the factors in the increase of obesity, because as people get older, hormonal changes and a less active lifestyle contribute to the appearance of this disease.
- Sociocultural factors: obesity is related to a lower level of education, because it influences the level of income, so it has an impact on the acquisition of healthy food.
- Certain medications: there are some drugs that can be a causal factor in obesity, including antidepressants, antipsychotics and diabetes medications.
The repercussions of obesity on people’s health
As explained by Dr. Daniel Cabo, specialist in Endocrinology, in his article “The repercussions of obesity on health”, there are a series of repercussions for patients who are overweight, among which the following stand out:
- Obesity increases cardiovascular risk due to an increased risk of hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease specific to excess weight that cause the heart, brain, kidney and vascularization to suffer more.
- Excess weight has been associated with multiple types of cancer.
- There is a direct relationship between obesity and an increased risk of arthropathies such as osteoarthritis, herniated discs and vertebral fractures.
- Obesity produces an increased risk of organ dysfunction, such as fatty liver and liver cirrhosis, biliary lithiasis, gastroesophageal reflux and esophagitis, menstrual irregularities and low testosterone, low fertility, hirsutism and acne, renal glomerulosclerosis, renal lithiasis, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, infections, carpal tunnel, venous insufficiency and varicose veins.
- There is an increased risk of psychological disturbances, such as low self-esteem, depression and anxiety.
- Excess weight is also associated with family and social disturbances, such as difficulty in finding a job or a partner, higher health care costs, absenteeism and difficulty in keeping a job, social discrimination, lower income and higher expenses, lower social status.
In this sense, it is very important to modify the current trends in the prevalence of obesity, especially the eating behaviors of children, who will be the adults of the future.
The importance of prevention and treatment of childhood obesity
Childhood obesity rates approximately double every ten years. According to the WHO, children who become obese in childhood often remain obese in adulthood, with the added risk of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. For this reason, prevention and treatment of obesity at an early age is essential to halt the global rise in obesity.
Moreover, childhood obesity can have serious consequences, because it profoundly affects children’s physical and social health, as well as their self-esteem and emotional well-being. In fact, it is related to poor academic performance and lower quality of life. In this sense, nutrition, physical activity and medical care have a very important role to play in preventing and treating obesity in children.
To prevent obesity, Dr. Daniel Cabo offers a series of guidelines, such as the following:
- Follow a healthy diet and regular physical activity during pregnancy to reduce the risk of obesity in the child.
- Practice regular physical activity.
- Follow a healthy diet from birth.
Following this lifestyle improves survival and quality of life so that there are no health risks at any time.
Is there any relationship between obesity and COVID-19?
People living with obesity are twice as likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19. Obesity increases the risk of developing respiratory diseases, immune disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. For this reason, this disease is a risk factor in people with COVID-19.
Precisely, it has been shown that people with COVID-19 who suffer from previous or chronic pathologies, such as these types of diseases mentioned above, are those who have a higher risk of suffering from COVID-19 in a more severe form.