Treatment of Obesity

Obesity is the excessive and abnormal fat accumulation which impairs the health of body.

Body Mass Index (BMI) that is calculated over height and body weight to determine severity of obesity. The body mass index is calculated by dividing weight (kilogram) by the square of height (meter). The individuals with body mass index over 30 are deemed obese, while a score above 40 points to morbid obesity.

Fat tissue secretes hormones and chemicals which can affect the whole system. Some secretions increase the appetite, elevate the satiety limit and cause progression of obesity.

Excessive weight gain not only limits your movements, but it also leads to serious diseases and threatens your life substantially. 

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What Are Causes of Obesity?

An irregular and unbalanced diet, fast-food and an inactive life cause weight gain and accumulation of fat in certain vital organs. Excessive eating after a long period of hunger and too much intake of carbohydrate-based foods and sweet drinks are examples of bad eating patterns that may cause obesity.

If both parents are overweight, the risk of obesity is 80% for children. Hormonal causes of obesity include diabetes mellitus, thyroid gland diseases and adrenal gland diseases.

Healthy eating pattern and active lifestyle should be adopted at childhood to avoid abnormal fat accumulation.

Obesity in the World and Turkey

Obesity is one of the most critical health problems at global scale, particularly in developed countries. According to World Health Organization data, there are 1.9 billion overweight people around the world, including 600 million obese individuals.

According to Body Mass Index research of Turkish Statistics Institution (TÜİK) in 2015; 20 out of every 100 people (1 out of every 5 individuals) are obese. In Turkey, obesity has increased by 31.1% in comparison to figures reported by a study conducted in 2008. Incidence of obesity is 15.3% in men and 24.5 % in women.

Obesity Is A Treatable Disease

expectancy significantly. However, obesity is a treatable disease.

Treatment of obesity includes exercise combined with diet or surgical techniques. Specialists determine the treatment method that fits patient’s needs best in order to restore and maintain healthy body weight.

You may cope with other diseases, such as hypertension, heart failure, sleep apnea and breast, colon and prostrate cancers and take a step into a healthy life, if you overcome obesity..

How Obesity Tested And Calculation Is Performed?

Obesity calculations are based on obesity classification of World Health Organization and Body Mass Index (BMI) is the calculation method.

BMI= Weight (Kg) / square of body height expressed in meters

Calculation for an individual with body weight = 100 kg and height = 1.80 m is shown below.

1.8 x 1.8 = 3.24

100 / 3.24 = 30.8

BMI = 30.8

According to the reference range of World Health Organization, values between 18.5 and 24.99 point to normal body weight. BMI scores above 25 indicate overweight, while scores above 30 and 40 are deemed obesity and morbid obesity, respectively.

Value range Result

• Individuals with BMI below 18.5 kg/m2 Underweight
• 18.5-24.9 kg/m2: Normal body weight
• 25-30 kg/m2 Overweight
• 30-35 kg/m2 Type 1 obese
• 35-40 kg/m2 Type 2 obese
• 40 kg / m2 Morbid obese (severe obesity)

Moreover, while values over 40 are identified as morbid obesity, they can also be classified as follows:

• 50 kg/m2: Super obese
• 60 kg/m2: Super super obese

Body mass index does not address certain elements such as fat content, body type and fat and muscle tissue. Therefore, specialists use metabolic rate and detailed body analyses to get more detailed information about the obesity problem along with body mass index and waist circumference that are used to calculate obesity.

It is important for diagnosis and treatment of obesity to identify location of fat tissue accumulation in the body. Type of fat accumulation in body divides into two groups; apple and pear type.

In apple type obesity, fat accumulates around and at level of belly button. Accumulation of fat is observed in hips and upper leg in pear-type obesity. However, it is acknowledged that accumulation of fat around the umbilical zone (belly button) is more hazardous and at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases relative to hips and upper legs.

Waist circumference over 94 cm in men implies increased risk, while 102 cm is regarded as high risk. Considering women, limits of risk and high risk are 80 cm and 88 cm, respectively.

Obesity Calculation with Detailed Body Mass Index

Obesity calculation with detailed body mass index helps you learn whether your body weight, fat ratio and waist circumference are normal or not according to your age and gender.

What Are Other Factors Taken Into Consideration Along With Body Mass Index?

Accumulated fats produce hazardous hormones for the body. Particularly, the fat accumulation around the waist may lead to more health problems. Your waist circumference gives an opinion about severity of your obesity along with your body mass index score.

Ratio of healthy muscle tissue to harmful fat tissue is also important in obesity calculation. Expected body fat ratio is 12-18% in an adult man and 20-28% in women. Body fat ratio over 25 in men and over 30 in women is linked to obesity.

Type your information for obesity calculation and learn if you have a healthy body weight or what can you do.

Coping With Obesity

According to World Health Organization, obesity is among top 10 diseases with highest risk. Today, obesity is the second most common cause of preventable deaths following smoking.

First, it is necessary to modify your eating habits and lifestyle to fight obesity. You need to pay attention to following risk factors, while you are trying to cope with obesity.

Nowadays, physical activities are generally restricted in children who live in large cities. Most of the children only participate in physical activities such as sports in physical education class.

You should encourage and promote your child to do sports more. Use of computer and watching TV are environmental factors that require extra attention. These two factors cause your child store energy throughout the day rather than spending it.

Moreover, watching TV or use of computer allows eating more junk food. Moreover, advertisements promote intake of foods with no nutritional value, resulting in weight gain in your child.

An obese child may not eat more than peers, but spends less energy. Low energy consumption in a child is among the major risk factors that lead to weight gain.

Shorter meal time, eating meal once or twice a day or intake of high-calorie foods, such as carbohydrates and deep fried foods, are important factors regarding weight gain in children.

If both parents are overweight, the risk of obesity is 80% for the child. The figure may decrease down 40%, if only mother or father is overweight. One should always remember that the major cause of obesity is to spend dietary energy rather than eating too much.

It has been observed that parents of children, who struggle against obesity, also have a life style poor in physical activity..

Children with obesity should necessarily be examined by a doctor who is specialized in hormone diseases. Adrenal gland diseases, thyroid gland diseases and diabetes mellitus may be the underlying cause of obesity in some of children with obesity.

Obesity is the excessive fat accumulation in the body due to calorie intake higher than calories burned. On the other hand, morbid obesity is defined as a diseased form of overweight that shortens life by causing fatal diseases and a BMI score above 40.

Who Are Good Candidates of Obesity Surgery?

Individuals with BMI between 35-40 who have diseases secondary to overweight, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea are deemed morbid obese regarding obesity surgery. A surgery may be considered even for patients with BMI score between 30 and 35 who has “recently diagnosed” type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic disorder.

Obesity is a clear risk factor for atherosclerosis and various cancers, such as colon, breast, kidney, urinary bladder, pancreas and prostate cancers. People with morbid obesity have to cope with dozens of problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, liver failure, sleep apnea, joint problems and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Atherosclerosis starts at early ages and progresses quickly in these individuals and it paves the way for heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, morbidly obese individuals die significantly earlier than peers due to these conditions.

Moreover, severe overweight leads to severe loss of self-confidence and social problems in children and adolescents. Morbid obesity can also be an important reason for female fertility.

Diet is the first treatment option for patients with morbid obesity. However, diet therapy should be stopped, if a diet that lasts longer than 6 months and is tried at least twice yields no positive outcome. At this point, the most effective treatment option is surgery which should be performed without unnecessary delay.

Obesity in Children

If your child is overweight even in young age and you find your child in front of the fridge any time you look, it is the right time to say stop. If you think your child is overweight in comparison to peers, you can calculate your child's body mass index.

You can learn if your child is obese according to the result of body mass index. If you think your child has a weight issue, it is necessary to visit a specialist as soon as possible. Thus, your child can be started on treatment of obesity early.

There are two important key points of obesity. First one is to start treatment early, while the other is intake of calorie lower than calories burned.

Obesity is one of the most common health problems around the world. It is prevalent not only in adults, but also in children. Overweight children are at higher risk of obesity and morbid obesity relative to children with normal body weight. Therefore, it will be easier to cope with obesity, if treatment is started early.

There are 155 million overweight and 45 million obese children in the age range of 5 years to 17 years all around the world. While metabolic syndromes are not observed in children with normal body weight, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, respiratory failure and cardiovascular diseases are likely in overweight and obese children.

Children younger than 6 spend 2 to 5 hours in front of a television, computer or tablet, but spending more than 4 hours in front of either may lead to obesity in the future.

The risk of obesity is very high for all children who spend more than 4 hours in front of TV. Television or computer in the room your children sleep or bedroom may prolong this period of time.

American Academy of Pediatrics states that children younger than 2 should not be allowed to watch TV. If your child is older than 2, it is recommended to limit the time spent in front of TV to 1 or 2 hours a day.

Moderate exercising for 60 minutes a day is advised for children over 2 years of age. Most children do not perform adequate physical activity every day. In schools, physical education classes help only 25- to 30-minute physical activity per week. Therefore, ensure that your child perform physical activities adequately every day.

Activity is a must for children to burn calories – an issue that is also very effective in treatment of obesity. The eating pattern prescribed for children should necessarily be combined with regular exercise in the day time. Height and weight of the child should be taken into considered when an exercise program is planned for your child.

Frequency and intensity of exercise can be increased depending on development and health status of your child. Non-strenuous exercises can be instructed at the beginning, while intensity can be gradually increased in the course of program. Daily physical activity of the children should last at least 30 minutes. This includes running, cycling, dancing, jogging or other sports branches.

Physical activities performed by your child every day not only increase consumption of energy, but they also boost the resistance against insulin. This will help preventing onset and progression of hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus.

Is Obesity a Genetic Disease?

Overweight parents are among factors that increase future risk of obesity in children. While genetic inheritance is linked to body weight, it cannot be hold responsible alone. Eating habits and physical activities of families also correlate with overweight.

There are various diet options for treatment of obesity in children. It is absolutely incorrect to start your children on diet programs promoted in magazines or newspapers. Diet program of the child should comply with eating habits of the child and the family.

Child’s age, height, weight, time spent for physical activity every day and social circle should be taken into consideration especially when a diet program is planned. All diets generally include main courses and snacks. No meal should be skipped to gain all healthy benefits of a diet.

Eating small servings at shorter intervals should be preferred over large meals. Given the developmental needs of the child, diet should be rich in calcium, zinc, iron and vitamins. Therefore, you should bring your child to an experienced dietitian and act in strict compliance with the recommended list..

Treatment of obesity in children is a process which requires patience and support of the family throughout the treatment period is very important. Family should patiently guide the child in the diet period in order not to cause disappointment. A child who is maintained on diet therapy may not be able to lose weight every week. Failure to lose weight does not mean that your child is not complying with the diet. Therefore, you should be gentle and patient for your child in the therapy period.

Medication treatment or obesity surgery is not considered for children who have obesity. Generally, children are given high-calorie foods that occupy a large volume in stomach in order to suppress appetite. Slow and healthy weight loss is the optimal approach in treatment of obesity. Therefore, it is necessary to supervise the therapy patiently. Particularly, pre-adolescents lose weight slowly, as they are growing and developing. Height and weight are normalized, when height increases.

How Can Weight Gain Be Prevented?

If you think your child has obesity problem or want to avoid obesity, following advices may help you.

• Encourage your child do sports activities in his/her spare time.
• Physical activities in school can be increased.
• Eating pattern of the family can be modified according to needs of the child.
• Foods which are sweet and have high nutritional value can be preferred.
• Consumption of fizzy and sweet drinks can be decreased.
• Short-distance walking or cycling can be useful.
• You can create opportunities for your child to do sports.
• Excessive gum chewing and using food as a reward should be avoided.
• Intake of sweeteners or diet products should be limited.
• You can prepare a lunch pack to have your child eat healthy foods at school.
• Packed foods such as fast-food should be avoided.
• Consumption of vegetables and fruits should be encouraged.
• Eating fast is among most effective underlying causes of obesity. Eating fast does not induce feeling of fullness. Therefore, it is necessary to chew well and eat slowly.