If numbers are to be believed, India will soon become the obesity capital of the world. Statistics point out that a growing number of children and adults are obese in our country. In order to spread the necessary awareness about this life-style disorder, the National Health Portal of India has declared October 26 as World Obesity Day. On eve of this day, Dr. Praveen Raj P, bariatric surgeon at GEM Hospital & Research Centre shares how in this contemporary era, we can deal with obesity.
Dr. Praveen begins by explaining what obesity is. “In today's world, a large population especially the younger generation is obsessed with their physical appearance and therefore, considers reducing weight to be of prime importance. But, people very often forget that obesity is also a medical condition and can lead to severe ill-health or even death.” Dr. Praveen says.
The accumulation of excessive fat in body tissues results in obesity. In some cases obesity is caused due to genetic factors. However, the most common causes for a majority of people suffering from obesity are unhealthy diet and lack of physical exercise. Dr. Praveen shares that lifestyle of people has changed. A majority of people eat outside. Thus, the junk food intake among people has increased. Additionally, because of our lifestyle we are not involved in physical activities of any kind. This automatically makes the individual obese.
The best ways to fix the trouble of obesity is to get the basics right. Consuming a healthy diet and doing a physical activity of any kind will help the individual to live a disciplined life.
This doctor also adds that one can determine if they are obese or not by calculating the Body Mass Index (BMI)).
How to calculate your BMI?
- BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (m2)
- BMI < 18.5 : Undernourished
- BMI > 25 : Overweight
- BMI > 30 : Obese
At least 2.8 million people die every year due to obesity. As per World Health Organization's (WHO) estimates in 2008, more than 10% of the adult population was found to be obese. In India, about 11.2% of the population was found to be overweight or obese. Thus, obesity is increasing at an alarming rate and needs to be managed to safeguard our future.