Weight Loss
Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in western industrialized countries and its prevalence in the UK is reaching epidemic levels.
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For Weight Loss Treatments
What is obesity?
Obesity arises from the accumulation of excess fat in the body from over consumption of fatty foods.
You can work out whether you're a healthy weight or putting your health at risk by calculating your body mass index (BMI). Take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in metres and then divide the result by your height in metres again.
* Underweight = BMI less than 18.5
* Healthy weight = 18.5 to 24.9
* Overweight = 25 to 30
* Obese = 30 to 40
* Severely obese = 40-plus
What causes it?
The cause of obesity falls within two main categories. Obesity caused due to a medical reason or obesity caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Genetics and medical : Some people are predisposed to storing fat and gaining weight. Another reason for obesity is illness or disorder that affects our metabolism - the most widespread is hypothyroidism.
Environment and life style : If you eat more calories than you use in daily activity, the spare energy is stored as fat and weight increases. This is a main reason for excess weight and obesity . Living a sedentary life with a serious lack of physical activity, stress and high calorie cheap food in our diet will inevitably led to becoming obese.
Effects
Being overweight puts your health at risk .Over 30 medical conditions relate directly to obesity and excess weight can also aggravate most of overall health problems. Obesity causes serious health conditions, such as:
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Gallbladder disease
- Cancer of different body organs (for example, breast, colon)
- Osteoarthritis and disability
- Sleep apnea and others
- Stress, anxiety and depression
Treatments available
If you are overweight the first thing to acknowledge is that there's no quick fix. Set realistic goals and always bear in mind that it is a question of balance - to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you're consuming.
The following factors are important for maintaining weight loss:
• Small, permanent dietary changes
• Regular physical activity
• Realistic goals
• Regular weighing
• Support from family and friends
In some cases doctors are able to prescribe medication to help achieve weight loss as part of a weight reduction programme.
There are effective obesity management drugs available such as
Xenical: Unlike other commonly prescribed weight-loss medications, Xenical is not an appetite suppressant and does not have a direct effect on the brain. Xenical works by blocking some of the fat that you eat from being absorbed by your body. By consuming fewer calories, your body will automatically tap into its fat stores and use them for the energy it needs.
Acomplia: A new prescription weight loss drug containing the active ingredient rimonabant. Rimonabant blocks CB1 receptors and so reduces cravings for food and helps decrease appetite and control hunger. The result is that patients will experience the feeling of being full easier thus wanting to eat less than normally.
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