Obesity
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5. Obesity is not merely a cosmetic or appearance problem but a serious threat to health and longevity. Obesity with its related diseases is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the world. The problem of obesity is a global phenomenon – WHO has coined the word “globesity”. The old age proverb – “the longer the belt, shorter the life” – has been scientifically and statistically proved entirely accurate. Proper weight control is of utmost importance today in the maintenance of good health.
6. Obesity is an abnormal biochemistry of the body caused by wrong diets and reduction in activity level when approaching adult life. Obesity may be described as a bodily condition characterised by excessive deposition or storage of fat in the adipose tissues. You gain weight when the intake of energy through food and beverages etc. exceeds the amount of energy used for metabolic processes, normal activities and exercise. Excess energy is stored as fat by the body for instinctive future needs. In a small number of cases, obesity could be the result of heredity and some abnormality in the body due to imbalance of hormones, thyroid, nervous system or due to faulty salt and water metabolism which results in the retention of fluids in the body tissues. Some weight gain also occurs when you quit smoking.
7. Some doctors now warn that even slim people with normal weight can have internal fat surrounding vital organs, like liver, heart or pancreas and could be as unhealthy as the overweight people with obvious external fat that bulges underneath the skin! The good news is that internal fat like the external fat can also easily be burned off through exercise and / or even by improving the diet.
8. It is worth mentioning that all body fat is not bad. Some body fat is needed for metabolic purposes. Fat preserves heat and gives the body the required cushioning for proper bodily functions. The average percentage of body fat for adults is about 15-18% for men and 22-25% for women as anatomically women have more body fat. According to the American Sports Academy, the minimum amount of body fat considered safe and acceptable for good health is 5% for men and 12% for women. Slipping below these figures is unhealthy because it interferes with normal body functions. Although some people, like singer Mick Jagger, can reduce fat levels much lower without any problems. People who keep within the normal range are considered healthy and don’t need to lose weight.
9. A person who is 10-12 kg. overweight is, in effect, lugging around a fully-laden suitcase wherever he or she goes. If the muscles are weak and lose, they cannot sufficiently support the internal organs of the body. Obesity is a serious health hazard as the extra weight of fat puts a strain on the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs as well as large weight bearing joints such as hips, spine, knees, ankles, which may ultimately shorten the life span.
