Smoking is the number one cause of cancers in smokers but obesity is the main cause of cancers in non-smokers, according to a research study by British scientists. Non-smokers can prevent cancers by eating healthy diet and staying away from junk food. The research was funded by World Cancer Research fund and will be submitted at Royal society conference. Obesity and cancer: Obesity is the number one avoidable cause of cancer in non-smokers. Courtesy: Medicallook. 1. Obesity increases the breast cancer risk by increasing the level of oestrogen hormones and is the major reason for bowel cancer (12%) and kidney cancer in men. Obesity is responsible for 10-15% of breast cancers. Obesity increases breast cancer risk by 30% in post menopausal women. 2. Obesity increases bowel cancer risk by 60% in over weight men. 3. Obesity is responsible for 25% of kidney cancers. 4. 30% of oesophageal cancers are due to obesity. 5. Obesity is the major factor for 40% of womb cancers. Increased consumption of fast foods and soft drinks are raising Obesity to epidemic levels due to empty calories. Lack of physical activity is adding fuel to this fire. Vigorous daily exercise for 30-45 minutes is necessary for keeping weight under control. Government should ban junk food advertisements in the media. … [Read more...]
Obesity pandemic is rapidly spreading
Obesity pandemic is rapidly spreading all over the world and is a major factor for rising incidence of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. 40% of men and 30% of women are overweight while 25% of men and 27% of women are obese, according to an extensive International study. The obesity survey was conducted on 168, 159 people aged 18 to 80 in 63 countries by INSERM (France health institute) researchers. This is the largest ever study was conducted on Obesity incidence and the results are alarming. The results of the survey were published in the “Circulation”, an American Heart Association journal. Image Courtesy: China.org Researchers took waist circumference as a tool to measure obesity as Waist circumference (Abdominal Adiposity or visceral fat) is more accurate marker of diabetes and heart disease than BMI. More than 30% of men and 50% of women have more than recommended waistlines and are at high risk for diabetes and heart diseases. Canada and South Africa are the top countries in obesity (average BMI IS 29) while Eastern Asia has only 7% obese people. For men, 5.5 inches increase in waist circumference will increase heart disease incidence by 35%. More number of people are becoming obese due to change in lifestyle and eating habits. Obesity pandemic will show severe effects in future due to rise in childhood obesity rates. Government should ban junk food ads and parents should encourage exercise activity in children by controlling TV watching habits. … [Read more...]
Obesity: Statistics, causes and diseases
Obesity and overweight together constitute as one of the top 10 global health problems as per the recent surveys conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Obesity Statistics: 1. Overweight adults in the entire world are: One billion (one hundred crore). 2. Children (under five years of age): more than 22 million. 3. By 2015 approximately overweight persons will be: 2.3 billion (230 Crores). 4. Obese people in 2007: 300 million (30 Crores). 5. By 2015 obese people will be: 700 million (70 Crores). 6. Obesity is a problem not only in developed but also in developing countries, where at present 115 million (11.5 crore), people are affected. Obesity is an abnormal and excessive accumulation of fat mass in the body. Over weight and obesity in adults is calculated as follows: The body mass index (BMI= Body weight(in kg), divided by the square of the height(in meters). "Overweight" in adults is defined as, when BMI is greater than or equivalent to 25 and "obesity’’ as when BMI is greater than or equivalent to 3o. Basic mechanism behind Obesity: The hypothalamus, a region in the brain, regulates food intake and the metabolism process in the body. Lack of balance between calorie intake (over eating) and physical activity (less spending of calories) is the reason for Obesity and Overweight. Then the caloric surplus is converted in to fat and stored in the body as adipose tissue. Overweight and obesity are complex problems depending upon many factors. 1. Genetic factors: The first recessive gene involved in obesity in mice and humans was identified by Prof. Jeffrey Friedman in 1994. Today, five mutations of this gene have been identified. It appears that predisposition to obesity is caused by a complex interaction between at least 250 obesity– associated genes. This would mean that people are not equal in their risk of developing obesity. 2. Nutritional factors (in perinatal period): phenomenon called “Metabolic programming or Metabolic imprinting” during early life ,may modulate later obesity risk. 3. Life style factors: With more number of people consuming energy-densed food and eating often in the day, without hungry, is causing obesity. 4. Sedentary life: Today people are leading sedentary lifestyle than did their hunter-gatherer ancestors. Risks or diseases due to obesity are: 1. Type-2 diabetes 2. Cardiovascular (heart) disease 3. Rising of blood pressure (BP) level 4. Strokes 5. Certain types of cancers, etc. Always keep in mind this golden word: “Longer the waist line- shorter the life line”. Source: Business line. … [Read more...]
Obesity: Causes and effects on the body
Obesity Statistics: Incidence: As per the W.H.O. report, 30% of the people in western countries are suffering from obesity. Out of the 6 billion people in the world, 1 billion are obese people. The other side of it is 1billion people are without sufficient food and living in poverty. Obesity epidemic is gradually on rise in developing countries also due to fast growing economies. Obesity Causes: 1. Modern life: Due to sedentary habits with little exercise is the main reason behind increased incidence of Obesity. 2. Fast food restaurants: These restaurants are growing in number in leaps and bounds. People are taking more junk and fatty foods. Due to these diet habits, more fat is stored in the body causing obesity. 3. Alcohol causes fatty liver and thereby more fat is stored in the body. Patient becomes obese. The main trouble with many people is they consider obesity as a cosmetic problem rather than disease. But the truth is obesity is a chronic disease due to deposition of more fat in the body. The important thing is over weight is not a disease but obesity is a disease. But the line of differentiation between the two is very thin. 4. Experts opinion: A famous doctor says that obesity simply a bad news for both body and mind. Another doctor says: Asians have more body fat, is not that they eat more but move less. 5. Other Causes of Obesity: A. Increasing affluence B. Little outdoor activity C. Spending more time watching television and playing computer games. 6. Emotions: Can they cause obesity, but how? People tend to eat more, when they are; 1. Upset 2. Anxious 3. under stress 4. Feel boredom. To quell these feelings they eat more. This becomes a vicious cycle. 7. Hereditary: Small parts of the DNA that people inherit from their parents that determine the weight gain in them. These genes do not tell our body how to utilize extra calories. 8. Nutrition and pregnancy: One theory is that when children are under nourished in the womb of their mother, when become adults, they usually develop abdominal fat, even with the normal diet. This put them at greater risk of obesity related illnesses. 9. In Asians: Asians evolved a so called ‘’thrift gene’’ after living for thousands of years under near-famine conditions. Their bodies are, paradoxically, metabolically, efficient to deal with the relative abundance of modern life. It is a genetic trait. Effects of Obesity on the body: Obesity causes following diseases: 1. Diabetes 2. Heart problems 3. Rise in blood pressure 4. Incidence of some cancers is more in Obese people. How to control Obesity: 1. Doing exercise – Walking is the best and simple exercise. 2. Eat more fruits and vegetables 3. Taking less fatty foods.4. Meditation and Yoga 4. Controlling stress and strain … [Read more...]
Health problems due to Obesity
Obesity till recently seen as a disease of developed countries. It is not a cosmetic concern. Obesity is ultimately life threatening. Many Health risks are due to obesity. In the America, more than 3 Lac deaths are linked to obesity annually.In India, 120 million urban Indians are seriously obese. The Indian capital, New Delhi, is called as Obesity capital where 45% males and 55% females suffering from severe obesity. According to World health organization, the Obesity epidemic is increasing faster in developing countries than in the developed world. The prime cause for Obesity is Life style changes as a result of affluence and sedentary life style. We are taking more food with high calories and not burning enough of it with exercise. We know that fat is ugly, but many unaware that it is dangerous as well. Increased work hours and tremendous stress making it difficult for allocating time for exercise. One out of ten urban Indian children is overweight. India is now under fat Tsunami. Obesity in the western countries is associated with poverty while in developing countries; it is the problem of rich. A stout person is always a laughing stock. Health probelms in Obese persons: Obesity leads to life threatening medical conditions. 1. Rise in Blood pressure: If body weight is increased by 1 kg, the heart has to pump the blood more blood. Heart needs to work harder unnecessarily. It leads to heart attack. 2. Stroke: Due to Obesity, The blood supply to the brain is suffered and in tern leads to their rupture. It causes paralysis due to loss of blood supply to that brain tissue. 3. Sleep Apnoea 4. Breathlessness 5. Heart Diseases: hardening of blood vessels due to bad cholesterol and reasons explained above. 6. Rise in Cholesterol levels due to more fat and calories in the obese persons. 7. Stones in the Gall bladder: Fat, females and >40 years are risk factors for Gall stones. 8. Type 2 Diabetes: Obesity increases risk for type 2 diabetes. It makes diabetics insulin resistant. 9. Large bowel cancers: Due to fat food intake . 10. Infertility: Especially women who are obese are more prone to infertility. 11. Osteoarthritis: Bones become thinner and have to bear more weight. Joints are also affected. 12. Shape of the body: There is an increased cardio vascular disease in men with waist measuring more than 101 cm. (in women it is 89 cm). People whose belly is like apple fruit shape are at higher risk of heart diseases than pear shaped ones. So, Obesity is not a cosmetic problem, it is a medical condition. … [Read more...]
Surprise: Bacteria in the Gut May contribute to Obesity!
As per new research report, Intestinal bacteria may contribute to your Obesity. Along with high calorie food intake (fast food) and decreased physical activity, microbes play a crucial role in your over weight. These bacteria by their extra activity in the intestine, release more calories in obese people than in lean ones.Obese people have more of these bacteria as per research. This research is going to change many perceptions on Obesity. Why some people are obese even though they take diet in normal quantities? Why one sibling is lean while other one is obese? Obesity Statistics: Obesity is gradually becoming an epidemic. 65% of American adults are overweight and more than 30% are obese. The proportion of children who are overweight has gone from 7% to 15% over the last 20 years, and the proportion of overweight adolescents has risen from 5% to almost 16%. Human intestines contain trillions of bacteria, perhaps 10 of them for every cell in the body. Almost 90% of the bacteria fall into two major divisions: the Firmicutes and the Bacteroidetes. Obese people contain more Firmicutes than bacteroidetes, which are responsible for their obesity (To some extent). This is another surprise identification after stomach bacteria's role in peptic ulcer. Even though most of bacteria in the in the gut are useful in digestion, this research finding is going to change the perception about these microbes. Obesity is responsible for many diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension, stroke and Heart attack. Prevention is better than cure. Please comment. … [Read more...]
Obesify effects on Economy
Obesity is shaving 3% off production in poor countries while Malnutrition 25 off production. As per World Health Organization (WHO) report, Obesity has tripled in the past two decades. One in every 10 children and 1 in every five adults are now obese in the World. Obesity reduces life expectancy which causes direct effect on economy. With booming economies in third world countries, Obesity is now showing increasing trends in Latin American and other third world countries. … [Read more...]
