Saturday, July 25, 2009

How Social Groups Can Help With Obesity


Obesity is a health problem that causes many severe diseases, besides hampering your normal personal and social activities. Obesity is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Obesity is increasingly becoming a concern in many developed countries. Obesity is thought to have numerous causes with physical, emotional, environmental, endocrine and neurological problems. Obesity is not just a cosmetic problem, but a lot of health problems & complications are associated with it. Obesity is a function of social progress so there's no point in blaming unhealthy food. Obesity is a result of multiple factors like environmental (food access, sedentary lifestyle), behavioral, social, cultural and genetic factors.

Obesity has become one of the major health problems worldwide. Obesity in adults is on the rise and is a major problem causing a significant rise in disease and death worldwide. Obesity itself is not a major risk factor for premature death until your body mass index is 40 or higher. Obesity is considered to be today's principal neglected public health problem, and is causing great harm to our society.

Weight loss is becoming a social issue. Weight loss diets, drugs and surgery all have well-documented side-effects, most of which include weight regain and decreased health. Overweight and obesity are products of certain lifestyle factors and it's unclear whether the weight itself, the lifestyle or the combination of both is more important for disease risk.

Obese people are at greater risk of cancer. Obese children are very likely to become obese adults who will have a significantly higher risk of developing medical problems. Obese children are more prone to vitamin deficiencies, especially Vitamin B12, which helps the body maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells.

Abdominal adiposity is an important determinant of impaired pulmonary function, and it is of greater importance than overall adiposity markers such as weight and BMI. Abdominal fat is especially active hormonally, secreting a group of hormones called adipokines that may possibly impair glucose tolerance. Abdominal adiposity may restrict the descent of the diaphragm and limit lung expansion, compared to overall adiposity, which may compress the chest wall. Body fat index calculators are used to find out the percentage of fats in the body.

Friends influence each others diet and exercise patterns. Friends who will commit to losing weight together can encourage each other along in healthy habits. Friends, siblings and spouses who agree to convert to healthy lifestyle habits and weight loss diets increase the chance of weight loss success for all concerned.

Researchers found that when a friend loses weight that their social network may follow suit. Researchers studied many factors, including gender, natural weight gain, and the tendency of people to associate with similar people. Researchers think it's more than just people with similar eating and exercise habits hanging out together. Researchers found that a person had a increased chance of becoming obese if their social network was obese.

Obesity is one of the major health problems increasing at an alarming rate. Obesity is not just a cosmetic problem, but it can lead to a lot of health problems and complications. Obesity is a public health problem which can translate into a large economic burden as steadily rising obese population can succumb to the medical complications of obesity and can threaten to overwhelm health services. Obesity is a growing problem among adults worldwide and the way to combat it is simple; eat less and eat more healthy food. Health is a big asset which requires proper care and nurturing.

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