| Persons with obesity are at risk of developing one or more serious medical conditions, which can cause poor health and premature death. Obesity is associated with more than 30 medical conditions, and scientific evidence has established a strong relationship with at least 15 of those conditions. Preliminary data also show the impact of obesity on various other conditions. Weight loss of about 10% of body weight, for persons with overweight or obesity, can improve some obesity-related medical conditions including diabetes and hypertension. Obesity-Related Medical Conditions The prevalence of various medical conditions increases with overweight and obesity for men and women as shown in Tables 1 and 2. Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)
Daytime Sleepiness
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Diabetes (Type 2)
Gallbladder Disease
Gout
Heat Disorders
Impaired Respiratory Function
Infections Following Wounds
Infertility
Liver Disease
Obstetric and Gynecologic Complications
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Monday, March 15, 2010
HEALTH EFFECT OF OBESTY
Saturday, March 13, 2010
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
- to give exposure about causes of obesity
- to explain the effect of obesity
- to expose the ways to solve obesity problem
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Obesity Statistics
Latest Obesity Statistics
USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions
58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
25% completely Sedentary
76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990
Obesity Related Diseases
80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
26% of obese people having high blood pressure
Childhood Obesity Running Out of Control
4% overweight 1982 16% overweight 1994
25% of all white children overweight 2001
33% African American and Hispanic children overweight 2001
Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rising from $35 Million (1979) to $127 Million (1999)
Childhood Metabolic and Heart Risks
New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type II diabetes (impaired glucose intolerance)
60% already have one risk factor for heart disease
Surge in Childhood Diabetes
Between 8% - 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II, associated with obesity.
Whereas 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%
Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic mix of group stated
Of Children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese
USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions
58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
25% completely Sedentary
76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990
Obesity Related Diseases
80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
26% of obese people having high blood pressure
Childhood Obesity Running Out of Control
4% overweight 1982 16% overweight 1994
25% of all white children overweight 2001
33% African American and Hispanic children overweight 2001
Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rising from $35 Million (1979) to $127 Million (1999)
Childhood Metabolic and Heart Risks
New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type II diabetes (impaired glucose intolerance)
60% already have one risk factor for heart disease
Surge in Childhood Diabetes
Between 8% - 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II, associated with obesity.
Whereas 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%
Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic mix of group stated
Of Children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese
The Real Cause of Obesity
obesity is not a personal choice. The obese are so primarily as a result of their genes.
Genetic studies have shown that the particular set of weight-regulating genes that a person has is by far the most important factor in determining how much that person will weigh. The heritability of obesity—a measure of how much obesity is due to genes versus other factors—is about the same as the heritability of height. It's even greater than that for many conditions that people accept as having a genetic basis, including heart disease, breast cancer, and schizophrenia. As nutrition has improved over the past 200 years, Americans have gotten much taller on average, but it is still the genes that determine who is tall or short today. The same is true for weight. Although our high-calorie, sedentary lifestyle contributes to the approximately 10-pound average weight gain of Americans compared to the recent past, some people are more severely affected by this lifestyle than others. That's because they have inherited genes that increase their predisposition for accumulating body fat. Our modern lifestyle is thus a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for the high prevalence of obesity in our population.
Over the past decade, scientists have identified many of the genes that regulate body weight and have proved that in some instances, different variants of these genes can lead a person to be fat or thin. These genes underlie a weight-regulating system that is remarkably precise. The average person takes in a million or more calories per year, maintaining within a narrow range over the course of decades. This implies that the body balances calorie consumption with calorie expenditure, and does with a precision greater than 99.5 percent. Even the most vigilant calorie counter couldn't compete, if for no other reason than that the calorie counts on food labels are often off by 10 percent or more.
The genes that control food intake and metabolism act to keep weight in a stable range by creating a biological force that resists weight change in either direction. When weight is gained, hunger is reduced. When weight is lost, the unconscious drive to eat is stimulated and acts to return weight to the starting point. Moreover, the greater the amount of weight that is lost, the greater the sense of hunger that develops. Thus, when the obese lose large amounts of weight by conscious effort, their bodies fight back even more strongly by increasing hunger and reducing energy expenditure. If you think it is hard to lose 10 to 20 pounds (and it is), try to imagine what it would feel like to lose many tens or even hundreds of pounds.
Anyone who doubts the power of this biologic system should study the case of a young boy in England a few years back. He had a mutation in a critical gene, the one that produces the hormone leptin. Leptin is made by fat tissue and sends a signal informing the brain that there are adequate stores of energy. When leptin drops, appetite increases. Because of a genetic error, this boy could not make this hormone, which left him ravenously hungry all of the time. At age 4 he ate 1,125 calories at a single meal—about half of what a normal adult eats in an entire day. As a result he already weighed 90 pounds and was well on his way to developing diabetes. At the time, his similarly affected cousin was 8 and weighed 200 pounds. After a few leptin injections, the boy's calorie intake dropped to 180 calories per meal, and by the time he was 6 his weight had dropped into the normal range. Nothing changed except the hormone levels: his parents weren't more or less permissive, his snacks did not switch from processed to organic, his willpower was not bolstered. Rather this boy was a victim of a malfunctioning weight-regulating system that led to an uncontrollable drive to eat. This examples illustrates that feeding behavior is a basic drive, similar to thirst and other life-sustaining drives. The key role of leptin and other molecules to control feeding behavior undercuts the common misconception that food intake is largely under voluntary control.
While mutations in the leptin gene like the cases described above are rare, nearly 10 percent of morbidly obese individuals carry defects in genes that regulate food intake, metabolism, and body weight. The evidence further indicates that the rest of the obese population carries genetic alterations in other, as yet unidentified, single genes or combinations of genes (polygenes) interacting with environmental factors.
So if you are thin, it might be more appropriate for you to thank your own "lean" genes and refrain from stigmatizing the obese. A broad acceptance of the biologic basis of obesity would not only be fair and right, but would also allow us to collectively focus on what is most important—one's health rather than one's weight. There is no evidence that obese individuals need to "normalize" their weight to reap health benefits. In fact, it is not even clear whether there are enduring health benefits to weight loss among obese individuals who do not suffer from diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, or liver disease. What is known is that the obese who do suffer from these conditions receive a disproportionately large benefit from even modest weight loss, which together with exercise and a heart-healthy diet can go a long way toward improving health.
While research into the biologic system that controls weight is moving toward the development of effective therapies for obesity, we are not there yet. In the meantime we must change our attitudes toward the obese and focus less on appearance and more on health. In their efforts to lose weight they are fighting against their biology. But they also are fighting against a society that wrongly believes that obesity is a personal failing.
Jeffrey M. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D. is the Marilyn M. Simpson professor and head of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at The Rockefeller University, and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
© 2009
By Jeffrey Friedman | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 10, 2009
Genetic studies have shown that the particular set of weight-regulating genes that a person has is by far the most important factor in determining how much that person will weigh. The heritability of obesity—a measure of how much obesity is due to genes versus other factors—is about the same as the heritability of height. It's even greater than that for many conditions that people accept as having a genetic basis, including heart disease, breast cancer, and schizophrenia. As nutrition has improved over the past 200 years, Americans have gotten much taller on average, but it is still the genes that determine who is tall or short today. The same is true for weight. Although our high-calorie, sedentary lifestyle contributes to the approximately 10-pound average weight gain of Americans compared to the recent past, some people are more severely affected by this lifestyle than others. That's because they have inherited genes that increase their predisposition for accumulating body fat. Our modern lifestyle is thus a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for the high prevalence of obesity in our population.
Over the past decade, scientists have identified many of the genes that regulate body weight and have proved that in some instances, different variants of these genes can lead a person to be fat or thin. These genes underlie a weight-regulating system that is remarkably precise. The average person takes in a million or more calories per year, maintaining within a narrow range over the course of decades. This implies that the body balances calorie consumption with calorie expenditure, and does with a precision greater than 99.5 percent. Even the most vigilant calorie counter couldn't compete, if for no other reason than that the calorie counts on food labels are often off by 10 percent or more.
The genes that control food intake and metabolism act to keep weight in a stable range by creating a biological force that resists weight change in either direction. When weight is gained, hunger is reduced. When weight is lost, the unconscious drive to eat is stimulated and acts to return weight to the starting point. Moreover, the greater the amount of weight that is lost, the greater the sense of hunger that develops. Thus, when the obese lose large amounts of weight by conscious effort, their bodies fight back even more strongly by increasing hunger and reducing energy expenditure. If you think it is hard to lose 10 to 20 pounds (and it is), try to imagine what it would feel like to lose many tens or even hundreds of pounds.
Anyone who doubts the power of this biologic system should study the case of a young boy in England a few years back. He had a mutation in a critical gene, the one that produces the hormone leptin. Leptin is made by fat tissue and sends a signal informing the brain that there are adequate stores of energy. When leptin drops, appetite increases. Because of a genetic error, this boy could not make this hormone, which left him ravenously hungry all of the time. At age 4 he ate 1,125 calories at a single meal—about half of what a normal adult eats in an entire day. As a result he already weighed 90 pounds and was well on his way to developing diabetes. At the time, his similarly affected cousin was 8 and weighed 200 pounds. After a few leptin injections, the boy's calorie intake dropped to 180 calories per meal, and by the time he was 6 his weight had dropped into the normal range. Nothing changed except the hormone levels: his parents weren't more or less permissive, his snacks did not switch from processed to organic, his willpower was not bolstered. Rather this boy was a victim of a malfunctioning weight-regulating system that led to an uncontrollable drive to eat. This examples illustrates that feeding behavior is a basic drive, similar to thirst and other life-sustaining drives. The key role of leptin and other molecules to control feeding behavior undercuts the common misconception that food intake is largely under voluntary control.
While mutations in the leptin gene like the cases described above are rare, nearly 10 percent of morbidly obese individuals carry defects in genes that regulate food intake, metabolism, and body weight. The evidence further indicates that the rest of the obese population carries genetic alterations in other, as yet unidentified, single genes or combinations of genes (polygenes) interacting with environmental factors.
So if you are thin, it might be more appropriate for you to thank your own "lean" genes and refrain from stigmatizing the obese. A broad acceptance of the biologic basis of obesity would not only be fair and right, but would also allow us to collectively focus on what is most important—one's health rather than one's weight. There is no evidence that obese individuals need to "normalize" their weight to reap health benefits. In fact, it is not even clear whether there are enduring health benefits to weight loss among obese individuals who do not suffer from diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, or liver disease. What is known is that the obese who do suffer from these conditions receive a disproportionately large benefit from even modest weight loss, which together with exercise and a heart-healthy diet can go a long way toward improving health.
While research into the biologic system that controls weight is moving toward the development of effective therapies for obesity, we are not there yet. In the meantime we must change our attitudes toward the obese and focus less on appearance and more on health. In their efforts to lose weight they are fighting against their biology. But they also are fighting against a society that wrongly believes that obesity is a personal failing.
Jeffrey M. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D. is the Marilyn M. Simpson professor and head of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at The Rockefeller University, and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
© 2009
By Jeffrey Friedman | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 10, 2009
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
* What are the causes of obesity?
* What are the effect of obesity?
* What are the ways to solve obesity problem?
* What are the effect of obesity?
* What are the ways to solve obesity problem?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Obesity Statistics
Latest Obesity Statistics
USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions
58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
25% completely Sedentary
76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990
Obesity Related Diseases
80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
26% of obese people having high blood pressure
Childhood Obesity Running Out of Control
4% overweight 1982 16% overweight 1994
25% of all white children overweight 2001
33% African American and Hispanic children overweight 2001
Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rising from $35 Million (1979) to $127 Million (1999)
Childhood Metabolic and Heart Risks
New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type II diabetes (impaired glucose intolerance)
60% already have one risk factor for heart disease
Surge in Childhood Diabetes
Between 8% - 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II, associated with obesity.
Whereas 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%
Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic mix of group stated
Of Children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese
SOURCE: Wellness International Network Ltd - web.winltd.com
Weight Loss AdviceNo matter how much excess weight or fat you have, if you want to lose weight permanently, your diet program should be directed toward a slow, steady weight loss. According to official government dietary guidelines, unless your doctor feels your particular health condition would benefit from more rapid weight loss, you should expect to lose no more than 2 pounds of fat a week, although initial loss (mainly water) may be greater. Losing more weight is no guarantee that weight loss is likely to be permanent.
USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions
58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
25% completely Sedentary
76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990
Obesity Related Diseases
80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
26% of obese people having high blood pressure
Childhood Obesity Running Out of Control
4% overweight 1982 16% overweight 1994
25% of all white children overweight 2001
33% African American and Hispanic children overweight 2001
Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rising from $35 Million (1979) to $127 Million (1999)
Childhood Metabolic and Heart Risks
New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type II diabetes (impaired glucose intolerance)
60% already have one risk factor for heart disease
Surge in Childhood Diabetes
Between 8% - 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II, associated with obesity.
Whereas 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%
Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic mix of group stated
Of Children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese
SOURCE: Wellness International Network Ltd - web.winltd.com
Weight Loss AdviceNo matter how much excess weight or fat you have, if you want to lose weight permanently, your diet program should be directed toward a slow, steady weight loss. According to official government dietary guidelines, unless your doctor feels your particular health condition would benefit from more rapid weight loss, you should expect to lose no more than 2 pounds of fat a week, although initial loss (mainly water) may be greater. Losing more weight is no guarantee that weight loss is likely to be permanent.
Monday, March 8, 2010
What Are The Major Causes Of Child Obesity?
Sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits are the most prominent factor causing child obesity. Low physical activity makes child more capable of storing fat. Due to lack of physical activity they burn fewer calories than what they consume. So to accelerate calorie burn, they need to take active part in outdoor games and sports. Diet is another factor that must be taken into consideration. Low fat, low sugar diets have proved to be safer and healthier food for growing children.
Overweight is a serious problem of appetite regulation and energy metabolisms affected by a combination of genetic, social, cultural, economic, psychological and environmental factors. Obesity which is defined as a chronic, degenerative disease that debilitates individuals is on the rise among children. Being overweight is directly related to diabetes, high BP, heart disease, cancers, gall bladder disease, gout and osteoarthritis. Fatty lesions can develop into atherosclerosis in children as young as three years old! Children eat more but there has been a decrease in active lifestyle. Lack of physical activity is the main factor in causing obesity. One-fourth of the children already have the cholesterol levels of 170 or more. Children spend more time in passive TV watching, computer, videogames. Making your child free from obesity requires two measures
1. Low fat, low sugar diet2. Encouraging an active lifestyle.
More fruits and vegetables should be included in child's diet. Consuming fruits and vegetables can reduce the incidence of heart disease by 31%, heart strokes and stomach cancer by 19% and lung cancer by 20%. Vegetable salads and fruit juices are healthy choices and contain vital vitamins and nutrients.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.
Overweight is a serious problem of appetite regulation and energy metabolisms affected by a combination of genetic, social, cultural, economic, psychological and environmental factors. Obesity which is defined as a chronic, degenerative disease that debilitates individuals is on the rise among children. Being overweight is directly related to diabetes, high BP, heart disease, cancers, gall bladder disease, gout and osteoarthritis. Fatty lesions can develop into atherosclerosis in children as young as three years old! Children eat more but there has been a decrease in active lifestyle. Lack of physical activity is the main factor in causing obesity. One-fourth of the children already have the cholesterol levels of 170 or more. Children spend more time in passive TV watching, computer, videogames. Making your child free from obesity requires two measures
1. Low fat, low sugar diet2. Encouraging an active lifestyle.
More fruits and vegetables should be included in child's diet. Consuming fruits and vegetables can reduce the incidence of heart disease by 31%, heart strokes and stomach cancer by 19% and lung cancer by 20%. Vegetable salads and fruit juices are healthy choices and contain vital vitamins and nutrients.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.
Cultural factors implicated in obesity, says study
By staff reporter, 28-Apr-2006
Related topics: Science & Nutrition
Health professionals need to use more than tape measures and scales to define and tackle obesity, according to a paper in the British-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.
A research review carried out by Maryanne Davidson from Yale University has discovered that many women don't make the link between high weight and poor health and that culture plays a big role in how positively they see themselves.
The report echoes a recently launched UK government health initiative, which recommended that obesity should be tackled through a combination of means. The food industry has long argued that it is unrealistic to believe that the food industry alone holds the key to pressing issues such as obesity.
Davidson reviewed key papers published over a 10-year period to see how health professionals and Black and White American women define obesity and to identify differences in attitudes. This revealed that while health professionals used quantitative methods, such as Body Mass Index measurements based on the height to weight ratio, women are more likely to base their ideal weight on cultural criteria.
"My review revealed that Black American participants defined obesity in positive terms, relating it to attractiveness, sexual desirability, body image, strength or goodness, self esteem and social acceptability," said Davidson.
"In addition they didn't view obesity as cause for concern when it came to their health."
White Americans, on the other hand, expressed completely the opposite view according to Davidson.
"They defined obesity in negative terms, describing it as unattractive, not socially desirable, associated with negative body image and decreased self-esteem and being socially unacceptable.
"But when it came to the links between body weight and health, this group was much more likely to voice mixed views, with some expressing concern and others feeling that weight wasn't a health issue."
Davidson also discovered variations in how health professionals define obesity.
"Although most of them use the Body Mass Index to actually measure obesity, we found different views about what level of BMI constitutes normal weight and what level indicates obesity," she said.
"I'm glad to say that that situation is changing and there is a move towards standardised measurement of what is obese and what is overweight. For example the International Obesity Task Force is helping to address the need for a global objective measurement based on BMI."
The concept of obesity in the United States appears to date back to the insurance industry, which published tables in 1912 defining average and acceptable weights for American adults. These were updated in 1959 with average weight being replaced by ideal weight and obesity being defined as 20 per cent above this figure.
That change put 40 per cent of American women in the seriously overweight category.
"Obesity is a major issue for health professionals as it is emerging as a worldwide healthcare epidemic," said Davidson. "The World Health Organisation estimates that there are at least 300 million obese people worldwide and a further one billion who are overweight.
"It's also clearly a cultural issue, as rates range from below five per cent in China, Japan and some African nations to more than 75 per cent in urban Samoa."
Recent data also suggests that 54 per cent of adult Americans are overweight and that women of all cultures are particularly affected. Key health issues related to obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol and asthma.
"That's why it's imperative that researchers and healthcare providers understand how people from different cultures view obesity," said Davidson.
Related topics: Science & Nutrition
Health professionals need to use more than tape measures and scales to define and tackle obesity, according to a paper in the British-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.
A research review carried out by Maryanne Davidson from Yale University has discovered that many women don't make the link between high weight and poor health and that culture plays a big role in how positively they see themselves.
The report echoes a recently launched UK government health initiative, which recommended that obesity should be tackled through a combination of means. The food industry has long argued that it is unrealistic to believe that the food industry alone holds the key to pressing issues such as obesity.
Davidson reviewed key papers published over a 10-year period to see how health professionals and Black and White American women define obesity and to identify differences in attitudes. This revealed that while health professionals used quantitative methods, such as Body Mass Index measurements based on the height to weight ratio, women are more likely to base their ideal weight on cultural criteria.
"My review revealed that Black American participants defined obesity in positive terms, relating it to attractiveness, sexual desirability, body image, strength or goodness, self esteem and social acceptability," said Davidson.
"In addition they didn't view obesity as cause for concern when it came to their health."
White Americans, on the other hand, expressed completely the opposite view according to Davidson.
"They defined obesity in negative terms, describing it as unattractive, not socially desirable, associated with negative body image and decreased self-esteem and being socially unacceptable.
"But when it came to the links between body weight and health, this group was much more likely to voice mixed views, with some expressing concern and others feeling that weight wasn't a health issue."
Davidson also discovered variations in how health professionals define obesity.
"Although most of them use the Body Mass Index to actually measure obesity, we found different views about what level of BMI constitutes normal weight and what level indicates obesity," she said.
"I'm glad to say that that situation is changing and there is a move towards standardised measurement of what is obese and what is overweight. For example the International Obesity Task Force is helping to address the need for a global objective measurement based on BMI."
The concept of obesity in the United States appears to date back to the insurance industry, which published tables in 1912 defining average and acceptable weights for American adults. These were updated in 1959 with average weight being replaced by ideal weight and obesity being defined as 20 per cent above this figure.
That change put 40 per cent of American women in the seriously overweight category.
"Obesity is a major issue for health professionals as it is emerging as a worldwide healthcare epidemic," said Davidson. "The World Health Organisation estimates that there are at least 300 million obese people worldwide and a further one billion who are overweight.
"It's also clearly a cultural issue, as rates range from below five per cent in China, Japan and some African nations to more than 75 per cent in urban Samoa."
Recent data also suggests that 54 per cent of adult Americans are overweight and that women of all cultures are particularly affected. Key health issues related to obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol and asthma.
"That's why it's imperative that researchers and healthcare providers understand how people from different cultures view obesity," said Davidson.
Obesity and Psychiatric Disorders
Associations with mood and anxiety disorders
Epidemiological studies support positive associations between BMI and mood disorders.3-5 A recent study using NESARC data found increased odds of mood disorder symptoms—including major depression, dysthymia, and manic and hypomanic episodes—among obese and extremely obese persons compared with their normal-weight counterparts.5 Obese individuals were 1.5 times more likely than normal-weight individuals to report lifetime or past-year mood disorder; extremely obese persons were twice as likely. Anxiety disorder rates were elevated not only in the obese and extremely obese but also in those who were only moderately overweight (odds ratio [OR], 1.19 - 2.60). Lifetime and past-year prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder without agoraphobia, and specific phobia were elevated among individuals classified as overweight and obese.5 A greater likelihood of depression and anxiety disorders with increasing BMI has also been observed in epidemiological studies carried out in other countries, including Germany, New Zealand, France, and the Netherlands.4,6
Relationships between elevated body weight and affective disorders appear stronger in women than in men. Obesity was associated with mood and anxiety disorders in both men and women in 1 study, but overweight predicted increased odds of mood and anxiety disorder in women only.3 Other studies have found obesity to be related to depression in women but not in men.7 There is even some evidence that overweight and obesity may be associated with a lower likelihood of attempting or committing suicide among men, although increased BMI is associated with a greater likelihood of suicidal ideation among women.7,8
Because studies to date are cross-sectional, causal pathways between obesity and mood and anxiety disorders have not been identified. It is likely that pathways are bidirectional. Weight-based discrimination is widespread, and being a target of discrimination can lead to anxiety and depression.9,10 Weight dissatisfaction is more prevalent among women than men, and women are more likely than men to face weight-based discrimination.11,12 Concerns that they will be scrutinized or judged based on weight may contribute to social anxiety in overweight and obese women. In fact, overweight and obese women are at increased risk for social phobia, but BMI is not associated with the likelihood of social phobia among men.3
Mood and anxiety disorders can lead to weight gain by interfering with healthy eating or regular exercise.13 Eating may have an anxiolytic effect, although overeating in response to stress varies between individuals.14,15 Women are more likely than men to eat in response to negative emotions, and women with mood disorders are more likely than men to report increased appetite as a symptom of depression.3,16
Associations between obesity and mood and anxiety disorders may arise from effects of stress on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which responds to stress by releasing cortisol and other hormones that modulate sympathetic nervous system activity. Under conditions of chronic stress, HPA axis activity becomes dysregulated, a state that has been implicated in depression and anxiety disorders as well as in obesity.17 Future prospective studies can further clarify the direction of relationships between obesity and affective disorders.
Epidemiological studies support positive associations between BMI and mood disorders.3-5 A recent study using NESARC data found increased odds of mood disorder symptoms—including major depression, dysthymia, and manic and hypomanic episodes—among obese and extremely obese persons compared with their normal-weight counterparts.5 Obese individuals were 1.5 times more likely than normal-weight individuals to report lifetime or past-year mood disorder; extremely obese persons were twice as likely. Anxiety disorder rates were elevated not only in the obese and extremely obese but also in those who were only moderately overweight (odds ratio [OR], 1.19 - 2.60). Lifetime and past-year prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder without agoraphobia, and specific phobia were elevated among individuals classified as overweight and obese.5 A greater likelihood of depression and anxiety disorders with increasing BMI has also been observed in epidemiological studies carried out in other countries, including Germany, New Zealand, France, and the Netherlands.4,6
Relationships between elevated body weight and affective disorders appear stronger in women than in men. Obesity was associated with mood and anxiety disorders in both men and women in 1 study, but overweight predicted increased odds of mood and anxiety disorder in women only.3 Other studies have found obesity to be related to depression in women but not in men.7 There is even some evidence that overweight and obesity may be associated with a lower likelihood of attempting or committing suicide among men, although increased BMI is associated with a greater likelihood of suicidal ideation among women.7,8
Because studies to date are cross-sectional, causal pathways between obesity and mood and anxiety disorders have not been identified. It is likely that pathways are bidirectional. Weight-based discrimination is widespread, and being a target of discrimination can lead to anxiety and depression.9,10 Weight dissatisfaction is more prevalent among women than men, and women are more likely than men to face weight-based discrimination.11,12 Concerns that they will be scrutinized or judged based on weight may contribute to social anxiety in overweight and obese women. In fact, overweight and obese women are at increased risk for social phobia, but BMI is not associated with the likelihood of social phobia among men.3
Mood and anxiety disorders can lead to weight gain by interfering with healthy eating or regular exercise.13 Eating may have an anxiolytic effect, although overeating in response to stress varies between individuals.14,15 Women are more likely than men to eat in response to negative emotions, and women with mood disorders are more likely than men to report increased appetite as a symptom of depression.3,16
Associations between obesity and mood and anxiety disorders may arise from effects of stress on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which responds to stress by releasing cortisol and other hormones that modulate sympathetic nervous system activity. Under conditions of chronic stress, HPA axis activity becomes dysregulated, a state that has been implicated in depression and anxiety disorders as well as in obesity.17 Future prospective studies can further clarify the direction of relationships between obesity and affective disorders.
How Obesity Affects Mental and Emotional Health
Obesity research shows that being overweight is connected to mental health and body image issues, and other unhealthy tendencies. But, is being underweight worse?
Being overweight or underweight affects emotional health in several different ways. In fact, the mental health effects of obesity can be as damaging as the physical effects, according to recent obesity research.
The emotional and mental health issues caused by being overweight include social discrimination, low self-esteem, and even thoughts of ending life. However, research shows that being underweight can have even worse mental health effects. Here's a summary of the emotional, mental, and social effects of being overweight and underweight...
Obese People Are More Prone to Depression and Anxiety
Obese women and men are less physically active because it's not only more difficult to move around, it's embarrassing to change in the locker rooms at the gym. Many obese people don't feel comfortable in fitness classes because of their size and shape. This lack of physical activity can cause depression and anxiety (while physical activity reduces feelings of depression and anxiety).
Overweight People Are Seen as Lacking in Willpower
Social discrimination includes the way society views you based on your appearance. The mental health effects of obesity include social discrimination – people often judge and mistreat individuals who are overweight. Obese people are seen as lazy and lacking in willpower, or incapable of looking after themselves properly. They're socially undesirable, which increases their chances of anxiety and depression.
Overweight Students Have Poor College Attendance
Obesity research from the University of Texas at Austin reveals that obese young women are half as likely to attend college as slim girls. Robert Crosnoe conducted the study, which tracked nearly 11,000 American adolescents, and found that young men didn't differ from their non-obese peers in college attendance. Obese young women are also more likely to use drugs and alcohol than their slimmer peers.
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Crosnoe states: "That girls are far more vulnerable to the non-health risks of obesity reinforces the notion that body image is more important to girls' self-concept and that social norms have greater effects on the education of girls than boys."
The emotional health effects of obesity in girls is stronger than boys because girls are more tuned in to their appearance. Body image affects not only their self-esteem, but their levels of achievement as well. Women who are overweight need to deliberately focus on increasing their body confidence.
Underweight People Are More Likely to be Depressed
Professor Tony Jorm from the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University studied the mental health effects of being overweight and underweight, and found that obese people struggle with depression and anxiety. Surprisingly, underweight people were more likely to deal with mental health problems.
Professor Jorm states: "Underweight people also have the advantage in that they have less physical disability and physical ill-health than obese people, and that masks the underlying tendency to anxiety and depression, but when we extract out the physical ill-health component, we're left with this picture that it's the underweight that have the worst mental health."
Whether you're overweight or underweight, taking care of your emotional and mental health is one of the best things you can do for your body and life!
Being overweight or underweight affects emotional health in several different ways. In fact, the mental health effects of obesity can be as damaging as the physical effects, according to recent obesity research.
The emotional and mental health issues caused by being overweight include social discrimination, low self-esteem, and even thoughts of ending life. However, research shows that being underweight can have even worse mental health effects. Here's a summary of the emotional, mental, and social effects of being overweight and underweight...
Obese People Are More Prone to Depression and Anxiety
Obese women and men are less physically active because it's not only more difficult to move around, it's embarrassing to change in the locker rooms at the gym. Many obese people don't feel comfortable in fitness classes because of their size and shape. This lack of physical activity can cause depression and anxiety (while physical activity reduces feelings of depression and anxiety).
Overweight People Are Seen as Lacking in Willpower
Social discrimination includes the way society views you based on your appearance. The mental health effects of obesity include social discrimination – people often judge and mistreat individuals who are overweight. Obese people are seen as lazy and lacking in willpower, or incapable of looking after themselves properly. They're socially undesirable, which increases their chances of anxiety and depression.
Overweight Students Have Poor College Attendance
Obesity research from the University of Texas at Austin reveals that obese young women are half as likely to attend college as slim girls. Robert Crosnoe conducted the study, which tracked nearly 11,000 American adolescents, and found that young men didn't differ from their non-obese peers in college attendance. Obese young women are also more likely to use drugs and alcohol than their slimmer peers.
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Crosnoe states: "That girls are far more vulnerable to the non-health risks of obesity reinforces the notion that body image is more important to girls' self-concept and that social norms have greater effects on the education of girls than boys."
The emotional health effects of obesity in girls is stronger than boys because girls are more tuned in to their appearance. Body image affects not only their self-esteem, but their levels of achievement as well. Women who are overweight need to deliberately focus on increasing their body confidence.
Underweight People Are More Likely to be Depressed
Professor Tony Jorm from the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University studied the mental health effects of being overweight and underweight, and found that obese people struggle with depression and anxiety. Surprisingly, underweight people were more likely to deal with mental health problems.
Professor Jorm states: "Underweight people also have the advantage in that they have less physical disability and physical ill-health than obese people, and that masks the underlying tendency to anxiety and depression, but when we extract out the physical ill-health component, we're left with this picture that it's the underweight that have the worst mental health."
Whether you're overweight or underweight, taking care of your emotional and mental health is one of the best things you can do for your body and life!
Obesity and Depression Are Linked, Say Researchers
Wednesday March 3, 2010
Obesity appears to be linked with an increased risk of depression, say researchers, and the link also works in the other direction.
Floriana S. Luppino and a team of researchers at Leiden University Medical Center and GGZ Rivierduinen, Leiden, the Netherlands, analyzed the results of 15 previous studies involving 58,745 participants which examined the relationship between depression and obesity over time.
"We found bidirectional associations between depression and obesity: obese persons had a 55% increased risk of developing depression over time, whereas depressed persons had a 58% increased risk of becoming obese. The association between depression and obesity was stronger than the association between depression and overweight, which reflects a dose-response gradient," said the authors.
The researches also found that the link between obesity and later depression was stronger among Americans than among Europeans and stronger for diagnosed depressive disorder compared with depression symptoms.
Although the causes for the obesity-depression link are uncertain, the authors discussed several possible theories, including the following:
Obesity is an inflammatory state and inflammation increases the risk of depression.
Obesity contributes to body dissatisfaction and low-esteem, putting the overweight individual at risk for depression.
Depression may increase weight by either interfering with the endocrine system or through antidepressant side effects.
Obesity appears to be linked with an increased risk of depression, say researchers, and the link also works in the other direction.
Floriana S. Luppino and a team of researchers at Leiden University Medical Center and GGZ Rivierduinen, Leiden, the Netherlands, analyzed the results of 15 previous studies involving 58,745 participants which examined the relationship between depression and obesity over time.
"We found bidirectional associations between depression and obesity: obese persons had a 55% increased risk of developing depression over time, whereas depressed persons had a 58% increased risk of becoming obese. The association between depression and obesity was stronger than the association between depression and overweight, which reflects a dose-response gradient," said the authors.
The researches also found that the link between obesity and later depression was stronger among Americans than among Europeans and stronger for diagnosed depressive disorder compared with depression symptoms.
Although the causes for the obesity-depression link are uncertain, the authors discussed several possible theories, including the following:
Obesity is an inflammatory state and inflammation increases the risk of depression.
Obesity contributes to body dissatisfaction and low-esteem, putting the overweight individual at risk for depression.
Depression may increase weight by either interfering with the endocrine system or through antidepressant side effects.
Prejudices about and Incidence of Obesity
A person who has obesity problems should not only be concerned with health conditions, but should also tackle a vast range of prejudices that are very widespread in our society.
Prejudices about obese people represent a very widespread kind of cultural racism based on a range of wrong stereotyped beliefs and are deeply rooted in Western cultures.
The most common prejudices are:
obese people are greedy people that gain weight because of their uncontrolled greed
obese people are psychologically disturbed people
obese people are people without will, otherwise they can lose weight
These prejudices are more serious because scientific research has shown their falseness. They are ideas that almost everybody has to such a point that even if obesity represents a problem which is widespread as an epidemic at world level (roughly 20% of women and roughly 30% of men of the world are destined to suffer from it by the year 2005) the world would continue to do its best to make obese people's life difficult.
A lot of obese people are too fat also for medical science: to be effectively contained by an operating bed, to stay on a common hospital wheelchair without being jammed inside, to enter a tunnel of an appliance for tomography CAT and NMR.
And yet, if the last two or three million years of human history are considered, obesity seems be a sad, but inexorable destiny of a lot of us.
Evolution seems to have favoured people that have chosen fat and energetic food. Originally, it was useful for the survival of people capable of storing calories to face famine situations. Up to a hundred years ago, this system worked for those who had unlimited access to food and/or had sedentary employment.
With the coming of technologies that automatized this work world and our everyday lives, exercise has become an option or a luxury for many people who live in Western countries. But it is not for this reason that people give up eating high caloric food.
Nowadays one American out of two is considered overweight (in 1950 it was one out of four). In Italy we have 40% overweight people.
Prejudices are not useful to tackle the problem and miraculous pills produced in recent years by pharmaceutical companies do not seem to be giving benefits comparable to their side effects.
Therefore research devotes itself to research on genes that control lipid metabolism and fat deposits.
In the meantime the only thing that seems to work is getting used to a balanced nourishment related to your needs linked to a regular program of physical activity (according to the American National Institute of Health 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day should be enough).
Prejudices about obese people represent a very widespread kind of cultural racism based on a range of wrong stereotyped beliefs and are deeply rooted in Western cultures.
The most common prejudices are:
obese people are greedy people that gain weight because of their uncontrolled greed
obese people are psychologically disturbed people
obese people are people without will, otherwise they can lose weight
These prejudices are more serious because scientific research has shown their falseness. They are ideas that almost everybody has to such a point that even if obesity represents a problem which is widespread as an epidemic at world level (roughly 20% of women and roughly 30% of men of the world are destined to suffer from it by the year 2005) the world would continue to do its best to make obese people's life difficult.
A lot of obese people are too fat also for medical science: to be effectively contained by an operating bed, to stay on a common hospital wheelchair without being jammed inside, to enter a tunnel of an appliance for tomography CAT and NMR.
And yet, if the last two or three million years of human history are considered, obesity seems be a sad, but inexorable destiny of a lot of us.
Evolution seems to have favoured people that have chosen fat and energetic food. Originally, it was useful for the survival of people capable of storing calories to face famine situations. Up to a hundred years ago, this system worked for those who had unlimited access to food and/or had sedentary employment.
With the coming of technologies that automatized this work world and our everyday lives, exercise has become an option or a luxury for many people who live in Western countries. But it is not for this reason that people give up eating high caloric food.
Nowadays one American out of two is considered overweight (in 1950 it was one out of four). In Italy we have 40% overweight people.
Prejudices are not useful to tackle the problem and miraculous pills produced in recent years by pharmaceutical companies do not seem to be giving benefits comparable to their side effects.
Therefore research devotes itself to research on genes that control lipid metabolism and fat deposits.
In the meantime the only thing that seems to work is getting used to a balanced nourishment related to your needs linked to a regular program of physical activity (according to the American National Institute of Health 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day should be enough).
Prejudices about and Incidence of Obesity
A person who has obesity problems should not only be concerned with health conditions, but should also tackle a vast range of prejudices that are very widespread in our society.
Prejudices about obese people represent a very widespread kind of cultural racism based on a range of wrong stereotyped beliefs and are deeply rooted in Western cultures.
The most common prejudices are:
obese people are greedy people that gain weight because of their uncontrolled greed
obese people are psychologically disturbed people
obese people are people without will, otherwise they can lose weight
These prejudices are more serious because scientific research has shown their falseness. They are ideas that almost everybody has to such a point that even if obesity represents a problem which is widespread as an epidemic at world level (roughly 20% of women and roughly 30% of men of the world are destined to suffer from it by the year 2005) the world would continue to do its best to make obese people's life difficult.
A lot of obese people are too fat also for medical science: to be effectively contained by an operating bed, to stay on a common hospital wheelchair without being jammed inside, to enter a tunnel of an appliance for tomography CAT and NMR.
And yet, if the last two or three million years of human history are considered, obesity seems be a sad, but inexorable destiny of a lot of us.
Evolution seems to have favoured people that have chosen fat and energetic food. Originally, it was useful for the survival of people capable of storing calories to face famine situations. Up to a hundred years ago, this system worked for those who had unlimited access to food and/or had sedentary employment.
With the coming of technologies that automatized this work world and our everyday lives, exercise has become an option or a luxury for many people who live in Western countries. But it is not for this reason that people give up eating high caloric food.
Nowadays one American out of two is considered overweight (in 1950 it was one out of four). In Italy we have 40% overweight people.
Prejudices are not useful to tackle the problem and miraculous pills produced in recent years by pharmaceutical companies do not seem to be giving benefits comparable to their side effects.
Therefore research devotes itself to research on genes that control lipid metabolism and fat deposits.
In the meantime the only thing that seems to work is getting used to a balanced nourishment related to your needs linked to a regular program of physical activity (according to the American National Institute of Health 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day should be enough).
Prejudices about obese people represent a very widespread kind of cultural racism based on a range of wrong stereotyped beliefs and are deeply rooted in Western cultures.
The most common prejudices are:
obese people are greedy people that gain weight because of their uncontrolled greed
obese people are psychologically disturbed people
obese people are people without will, otherwise they can lose weight
These prejudices are more serious because scientific research has shown their falseness. They are ideas that almost everybody has to such a point that even if obesity represents a problem which is widespread as an epidemic at world level (roughly 20% of women and roughly 30% of men of the world are destined to suffer from it by the year 2005) the world would continue to do its best to make obese people's life difficult.
A lot of obese people are too fat also for medical science: to be effectively contained by an operating bed, to stay on a common hospital wheelchair without being jammed inside, to enter a tunnel of an appliance for tomography CAT and NMR.
And yet, if the last two or three million years of human history are considered, obesity seems be a sad, but inexorable destiny of a lot of us.
Evolution seems to have favoured people that have chosen fat and energetic food. Originally, it was useful for the survival of people capable of storing calories to face famine situations. Up to a hundred years ago, this system worked for those who had unlimited access to food and/or had sedentary employment.
With the coming of technologies that automatized this work world and our everyday lives, exercise has become an option or a luxury for many people who live in Western countries. But it is not for this reason that people give up eating high caloric food.
Nowadays one American out of two is considered overweight (in 1950 it was one out of four). In Italy we have 40% overweight people.
Prejudices are not useful to tackle the problem and miraculous pills produced in recent years by pharmaceutical companies do not seem to be giving benefits comparable to their side effects.
Therefore research devotes itself to research on genes that control lipid metabolism and fat deposits.
In the meantime the only thing that seems to work is getting used to a balanced nourishment related to your needs linked to a regular program of physical activity (according to the American National Institute of Health 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day should be enough).
The Health Benefits of Losing Weight
Losing weight can improve your health in many ways. Just losing 10% of your current weight can make a difference in the way you feel on a daily basis. Here are some other ways losing weight will benefit your health:
Increased energy level
Lower your cholesterol levels
Reduce your blood pressure
Reduced aches and pains
Improved mobility
Improve your breathing
Help you sleep better and wake more rested
Prevention of angina, chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart
Decreases your risk of sudden death from heart disease or stroke
Prevention of Type 2 diabetes
Improved blood sugar levels
Increased energy level
Lower your cholesterol levels
Reduce your blood pressure
Reduced aches and pains
Improved mobility
Improve your breathing
Help you sleep better and wake more rested
Prevention of angina, chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart
Decreases your risk of sudden death from heart disease or stroke
Prevention of Type 2 diabetes
Improved blood sugar levels
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