“If he really wanted, he would slim down”
‘Imagine how much he eats to be so thick’
“He’s dependent on food.”
“If you don’t go to the gym, how will you lose pounds?”

The prejudices associated with many obesity and the stigma for patients are huge.

But obesity is not an option, not just overwhelming pounds that one can fly over him by cutting the food. It is a disease and even multifactorial with a genetic background.

Obesity as a disease

People with obesity live with a disease, which is affected not only by how much we eat and how we move, but also by a multitude of other factors that are not always in our control.

  • Heredity – According to studies, obesity is inherited from 40% to 70%. More than 900 genetic variants have been identified with obesity.
  • Hormonal disorders – Endocrine diseases such as hypothyroidism, cushing syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome or even normal hormonal changes such as menopause or adolescence can lead to weight gain.
  • Environment & way of life – Many processed foods, sedentary life and bad eating habits affect our weight.
  • Lack of sleep – Insufficient sleep can increase appetite and affect metabolism, causing specifically accumulation of visceral fat.
  • Stress & mental health – Stress, depression and emotional disorders are linked to weight gain. Obesity increases the risk of depression, and depression increases the risk of obesity, causing patients to fall into the vortex of a vicious cycle.
  • Medication – Diabetes drugs, antidepressants, corticosteroids and antipsychotics are some of the formulations that can contribute to weight gain.

Measuring tool

The easiest, widely available and low cost tool for weight evaluation is the so -called body mass index (BMI = weight (kg) / height (m²).

This tool, however, shows neither the ratio of fat and lean mass, nor gives information about obesity -related complications, nor does it take into account the age, gender and any racial differences that affect the body.

For this reason, the perimeter of the waist (AM) is also used which also provides additional information on the cardiovascular risk that the patient runs.

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The complications of obesity

Studies show that obesity is a predictor of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, regardless of age, sex, nationality, and smoking.

And it’s not just cardiovascular risk, obesity is associated with more than 200 complications. One of the most important diseases is type II diabetes. A recent study in the United Kingdom has shown that a body mass index of 30-35 kg / m2 is associated with five times the risk of developing type II diabetes. This risk is fired at twelve fuselage for people with a body mass index of 40-45 kg / m2.

At the same time, obesity is associated with important diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as fatty liver infiltration, which can even reach cirrhosis, gallstones, chronic gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux, as well as some forms of cancer.

Also, people with obesity often suffer from sleep apnea and musculoskeletal problems such as knee osteoarthritis, spondylarthritis and hip arthritis.

The stigma puts obstacles to treatment

However, the need to treat obesity is not always self -evident. The stigma that accompanies the disease marginalizes patients, making them victims of discrimination not only at social and work level, but even in the field of health.

Due to prejudice and stigma, obesity is not diagnosed or always treated properly, while available treatments are often not compensated.

The simplistic view of “eat less and exercise more” undermines the treatment of obesity, which requires a combined treatment with lifestyle change, pharmacotherapy or even metabolic surgery.

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How is obesity treated?

Changing lifestyle is the first step in managing obesity. This step involves a balanced diet, increasing physical activity and behavioral support for patients to change habits.

  • Pharmaceutical Treatment: In addition to integrated lifestyle intervention patients can also benefit from obesity drugs that help regulate appetite and weight management. These medicines are indicated for people with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg / m2 or BMI greater than or equal to 27 kg / m2 and at least one co -institution (eg type II diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia or obstructive sleep apnea). However, medicines are not a panacea and maintaining the result requires long -term treatment and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
  • Bariatric Surgery: The solution of bariatric surgery leads to even more improved results, but is not suitable for everyone. It is examined in patients who have motivated but have not achieved sufficient weight loss after behavioral treatment, with or without pharmacotherapy and for people with BMIs:

– ≥35 kg/m2 regardless of the presence, absence or severity of co -institutions

– 30–34.9 kg/m2 with metabolic disease