Obesity & your Health :What you must know

Self-love and being healthy are passionate topics. While body shaming is strictly negative. Proper assessment of problems can prevent health issues in the long run. Being a doctor mommy I was struggling with my pregnancy weight gain for the last 4 years. Then one day my hubby told me something which made me sit up. He said

 

Without you knowing how to live healthily and enjoy life how exactly will you help?

Point to be noted.

I have managed to lose weight significantly following the advice of experts and eating correctly and exercising. That’s when I started researching food and types of exercise and timing. Obesity has several medical problems which spoil the quality of life.After all, the most important thing is happiness and quality of life.You may think your weight problems are not worrying you and you are perfectly healthy.But all the over-indulgences catch up when you cross forty and sometimes even in your thirties if you are not careful.

Diabetes, hypertension, thyroid issues, joint pains, fertility problems can all raise their ugly heads.

Diabetes is a chronic disorder causing high blood sugar. In Type-I diabetes, there is the lack of Insulin.More likely to have a genetic cause.Type-II diabetes makes up about 86-90% of all cases. Type-II there are factors that oppose the action of Insulin.

Obesity Causes: Metabolic syndrome/Syndrome X and your body weight

Syndrome X, is a group of  5 conditions that put you at risk for heart
disease, diabetes, and stroke. These conditions are:

• High Blood pressure, (more than 130/85mmHg)
• High Blood sugar,
• High levels of triglycerides ( a type of fat in blood)
• Low levels of HDL ( good cholesterol)
• Central obesity or high fat around waist

 

Obesity scary statistics
Over 50% of all people with diabetes are unaware of their condition.
Diabetes affects more than 62 million Indians, over 7 % of the adult population. 2016 data from WHO suggests an estimated 422 million adults are afflicted with diabetes globally

According to a Lancet study China, India, and the US are the top three countries with large diabetic populations2.

Common symptoms are

• Weight gain,
• Failure to lose weight,
• Unexplained weakness,
• Fatty liver,
• Central obesity,
• Associated symptoms of Diabetes,

Associated symptoms of hypertension.

Another problem with obesity is thyroid problems.The more overweight you become, higher the risk of hypothyroidism.They more hypothyroid you are, more difficult is it to lose weight.Vicious cycle.Diabetes and hypothyroidism can both have obesity-related factors.So be very careful.I advice a hypothyroid diet to be adjusted and personalized by a trained professional.

Preventing and controlling the risk factors of Syndrome X

Your weight: Diet, exercise and mental health are the three pillars.There really is no shortcut.It is very important to maintain a healthy weight.A healthy diet includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.Avoid processed and packaged food.Also be careful about the amount of sodium in your diet.

Exercise is crucial when it comes to preventing this condition. Regular physical activity improves muscle tone and helps lower your blood pressure.It helps in proper utilization of blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. Prevention is always better than treating.But if you already have diabetes or any of the other risk factors, don’t give up.You just need to be even more awesome.A diabetic diet needs to be properly designed.Amount and source of calories should be adjusted according to lifestyle and any other medical condition.Remember starving is not a diet.

By losing weight people with type 2 diabetes becomes less insulin resistant. Prevent and manage diabetes using a combination of Diet, Exercise, Progress Monitoring and Education.

You need  careful assessment of medical status and weight management need.No fad diets,but long term and sustainable healthy weight management. You need an expert team of consulting doctors, dieticians, physiotherapists, fitness experts, and counsellors to help you design your healthy lifestyle plan.The wellness counsellors can help you plan an exercise program with both active and passive activity as per your lifestyle, fitness level and health conditions.But the real work and committment depends on you.

 Managing aches and pains associated with excessive weight gain.

That niggling low back pain.That neck pain and the knee stiffness which you have been ignoring can be helped.You just need a little care.Start with getting your diet, stress, and exercise in order.Then watch how light and flexible you start to feel.

If the exercises get difficult due to the pains you can start with a little help from pain specialists. They take care of people who suffer from joint pains restricting movements and reducing the rate of weight loss.

Heat therapy aids in muscle relaxation and increases blood flow. This is followed by the use of TENS and IFT modes of Neuro-Muscular  Stimulators. This effect is further enhanced by ultrasonic induction of pain-relieving gel to the localized site thus removing the metabolic waste, decreasing inflammation, and relieving pain subsequently. The therapy has to be followed by specific strengthening exercises of the particular joint involved.

Live life healthy and pain-free.

Disclaimer: This is meant for education and information purpose. All medical and health decisions should be made after professional medical consultation. Read my full disclosure here.

Updated November 2018

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