Obesity is a universally burning problem in the field of health. In India too rapid change in life style and affluence obesity has become a health hazard. The added disadvantages are the consumption of wrong kind of food e.g. Junk food and irregularity in food timings, sedentary life style and stressful work and home environment are factors promoting obesity. Due to lack of time consumption of preserved and junk food take precedence over home cooked food, leading to unhealthy individuals and society, suffering from killer disease like hypertension and diabetes.

Now, medical as well as other conventional disciplines advocate regular and moderate exercise and regulation of eating and sleep habits. Eating and physical exercise and behavioural activities and as such can be controlled by strong will power.

 

Causes of Obesity

 

1. Lack of physical activity and regular exercise.

2. Changed life style.

3. Socio-economic conditions.

4.  Genetic bias.

5. High caloric, high fat and carbohydrate diet.

6. Psychological disturbances leading to over eating.

7. Use of contraceptive pills in women.

8. Obesity is even prevalent after born a child and after the session of Mensuration.

9. Hypothalamic lesions.

10. Post natal and menopausal conditions.

11. Chronic alcoholism.

12. Excessive Sleep.

 

Complications of Obesity

 

1. Morbidity and mortality: A 10% overweight individual has a 13% greater chance to dying.

2. Psychological effects: Self depreciation, being made fun of by people in society and peer group. This leads to depression.

3. Painful knee joint: Due to extra pressure on the knees, they are unable to handle the extra kilos and become painful, resulting in distorted gait and posture.

4. Varicose Veins: These are  Veins which have become tortuous due to extra load on the vein in the form of pressure  from the extra fat.

5. High blood pressure or hypertension.

6. Diabetes

7. Hiatus hernia: Over accumulation of fat on the abdomen cavity, pushes the upper portion of the stomach through the diaphragmatic aperture in to the chest cavity causing hear burn and acid errucations.

8. Breathlessness.

9. Backache

10. Coronary Heart disease (CHD)

11. Major cause of gallstone formation.

12. Prone to accidents due to inability to properly balance, the extra body weight resulting in falls and injury.

13. Infertility and menstrual irregularities.

14. Obesity can lead to post-operative thrombo- embolic phenomenon.

15. Fatty liver may lead to cirrhosis.

16. Physical incompatibility in sex.

17. Sleep Apnea

18. Snoring

19. Arthrosclerosis:  This is the deposition of cholesterol rich material on the inner lining of blood vessels. Reduced flow of blood due to thicking of the blood vessels may lead to mild to severe stroke and heart attacks.