Risk factors associated with obesity
If we eat more than we need, the surplus food is converted into and stored as fat. Some people however may have a genetic bias and gain weight more readily than others. If we eat more than we need, the surplus food is converted into and stored as fat. Some people however may have a genetic bias and gain weight more readily than others. The reasons are not clearly understood but some research findings pint towards a gene that appears to promote obesity. Hormones also play a role. Over eating and lack of exercise causes obesity.
BMI (Body mass index) is estimating human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. A body mass index of 20 – 25 is generally defined as healthy, but more than 30 is defined as obese. Obesity increases a person's risk of illness to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and kidney and gallbladder disease. It is also a risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis and sleep apnea. The accumulation of a substance that the body is unable to metabolize can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the nature of the fault.
These disorders include carbohydrate metabolic disorders such as galactosaemia, which is caused by a missing liver enzyme that is needed to convert lactose, or milk sugar, into glucose; lipid metabolic disorders, including hyperlipidemia, which lead to the accumulation of high levels of fats in the blood; or mineral metabolic disorders such as hypocalcaemia, in which abnormally high levels of calcium build up in the blood. Treatment plans include anti – obesity medications, a diet providing about 1500 calories a day for a woman and 2000 calories a day for a man is considered reasonable, when combined with a moderate exercise program. A gastric bypass reduces the size of the stomach making the patient feel full after eating less food.