About obesity treatment

Obesity is a condition which leads to many types of illnesses or even death. Therefore, it is considered to be one of major threats to the global health of the population. Both developing and developed countries are affected by obesity epidemics. In fact, in the US, one third of the entire adult population are obese, with 16% of children being either the same or simply overweight.

Definition of Obesity

Even though obesity was considered to be the phenomenon affecting the rich, today, it is wide-spread in urban parts of poor countries as well. Basically, obesity is a condition which manifests through excessive amounts of body fat, causing health problems to an individual. We gain weight when we consume more calories than we can possibly burn. While overweight people have their body mass indexes valuing between 25 and 29.9, anything higher than that is considered to be obesity. However, exceeding body mass index of 40 will classify a person as morbidly obese.

Reasons behind Obesity

Genetics are considered to be behind obesity. Numerous tests have shown that childhood and teenage obesity is closely related to genetics. Yet, we cannot deny the fact that lack of physical activity in one's life contributes significantly to the weight gain he/she may experience. Of course, in order to gain a lot of excessive body weight, you need to eat a lot, so malnutrition is one of the causes of obesity too.

Once a person is obese, he/she may suffer from a wide range of illnesses, including cardiovascular problems, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high levels of cholesterol, hypertension, osteoarthritis or even certain types of cancer. Diabetes is the most common outcome of obesity.

Treatment for Obesity

First of all, a change of diet combined with a change of lifestyle may reverse the obesity and help a person lose the extra weight. Thus, eating healthy food, exercising regularly are the two key factors to putting an end to obesity.

Fewer calories equal loss of weight. So, a diet consisting of green, leafy vegetables, fruits and cereals will do. Drinking fruit juices may contribute to the weight loss significantly. Therefore, lemon, grape, orange, pineapple and many other fruit juices are more than recommended. Everything out of the boundaries of vegetarian should be avoided, including dairy products, food fried in oil, sugar and sweets. Increased water intake will help a person feel full for a longer period of time and will also result in detoxification of the body.

As far as exercising is concerned, walking and yoga should be practiced every day for about half an hour. Additionally, you can visit a gym and take part in strength training, about 3 times a week. Finally, if you are in a state of morbid obesity, you might need surgery.