Obesity is one of the biggest health problems in the world. Obesity as defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is that when one has BMI (body Mass Index) of 30 and above. (A BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight). A person with a BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered to have a normal weight. An adult who has a BMI of 25-29.9 is overweight and a person is morbidly obese if his or her BMI is above 40. The BMI a key index for relating body weight to height is a person’s weight in kilograms (Kg) divided by their height in meters squared. A person has traditionally been considered to be obese if they are more than 20% over their ideal weight. Obesity is a chronic condition defined by an excess amount of body fat.
One becomes obese if a person eats more calories than he or she burns. The most common causes of obesity are physical inactivity, overeating, eating junk foods, Genetical factors, a diet high in simple carbohydrates, frequency of eating, medications which include antidepressants and steroids besides certain other medicines, psychological factors including stress, diseases and social issues etc. Obesity is not just a cosmetic consideration, it is harmful to one’s health as it is a risk factor for many conditions, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cerebrovascular accident, heart attack, cancer, gallstones, gout, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and many more problems.
To get rid of obesity one must change the life style, to counter the causes which lead to obesity. One should be physically active and also undertake regular yoga and aerobic exercises to burn the extra calories. Bring changes in dietary habits by reducing intake of calories by eating proper diet including green vegetables and fruits, avoiding of processed and junk foods, excessive sugar, eat plenty of dietary fiber and focus on eating low- glycemic index foods. Get enough sleep and take less stress, avoid smoking and alcohol etc.
Besides adopting self measures for obesity management, there can some motivational schemes on the part of government and administration as well. In the recent past, the UK Government announced to reward those who lose weight eat more fruits and vegetables. The British government has planned to provide cash incentives, bonuses, and discount coupons to those who will adopt a healthy lifestyle. This is going to be a part of the weight loss services plan by the government to combat obesity. Under this initiative, the government will monitor fruits and vegetable intakes of registered people as well as supermarket spending of the family for reducing calorie intake by buying more fruits and vegetables through an app. In India already there are examples of such motivational initiatives which can be followed in a wider perspective as in July 2018, when Inspector general of Kolhapur range of the Maharashtra state police department decided to reward the officers who lose the excess weight and keep fit. Earlier in 2013 the then CP of Mumbai had also announced cash rewards for police officers who had succeeded in losing weight and being fit. Similar Incentives can be granted in various fields to promote weight loss and obesity management.
Now let all of us, particularly the obese ones must bring requisite lifestyle changes in order to control this obesity epidemic.
