Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in

All rights reserved with siahmsr digital healthcare[siahmsr wellness]

Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team.

   Health statistics are numbers that summarize information related to health. Researchers and health policy makers from government, private, and non-profit agencies and organizations collect health statistics. They use the statistics to learn about public health and health care and formulate strategies to improve health.

  Changing lifestyles and sedentary habits in the recent past have brought a spike in obesity , cardiovascular diseases, cancers  and mental health problems in populations across the globe. The situation in European union also is not different from that of the globe as a whole and the population in Europe also faces many health-related challenges.

The statistics shows that weight problems and obesity are increasing at a rapid rate in most of the EU Member States, with estimates of 52.7 % of the adult (aged 18 and over) EU’s population overweight since 2019.

A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. BMI machines made available in public platforms as well as in hospitals help people to assess body mass index.

Obesity affects the vital organs like heart, liver, kidneys, joints, and reproductive system. It may lead to a range of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, various types of cancers, and mental health issues.

Health consequences of being overweight

   Obesity has serious impacts on the health of the people as it enhances the risk for cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart diseases and certain cancers. Its impact is on individual as well as societal levels as it puts a considerable strain and burden on social resources and health care systems. These conditions cause premature death and substantial disability.

 Obesity is associated with hypertension or high blood pressure. Having a large body size may increase blood pressure as your heart needs to pump harder to supply blood to all your cells. Excess fat may also damage your kidneys, which help regulate blood pressure.

Cardiovascular disease risk is also high in obese people as heart attacks, heart failure and angina occur in them more commonly. The risk is increased by high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and high blood glucose. In addition, excess weight can also make your heart have to work harder to send blood to all the cells in your body.

 Obese people are more predisposed to stroke from clots as well as haemorrhage or bleeding. High cholesterol, diabetes increases the risk for clot formation in the blood vessels to brain. Clots may cut off blood supply to brain tissues and cause damage to it. This is called as thrombotic stroke. Overweight and obesity are known to increase blood pressure—and high blood pressure is the leading cause of strokes from bleeding within the brain tissue.

Obesity endangers the liver also as it predisposes to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD]. Fatty liver diseases develop when fat builds up within the liver, which can eventually lead to severe liver damage, cirrhosis, or even liver failure. These diseases include nonalcoholic fatty liver [NAFL] and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are types of NAFLD. If you have NASH, you have inflammation and liver damage, along with fat in your liver. Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes increase the risk for developing fatty liver disease.

Cancer risk also has been found to be high in obese people. Obesity in men enhances the risk for certain specific cancers such as  cancers of colon, rectum and prostate. In women obesity increases the risk for cancers of uterus, breast and gall bladder.

Obesity can increase your risk of developing asthma or worsening it.

Obesity is a common cause of sleep apnea in adults. That is, breathing difficulty during sleep. Obesity may narrow the airway. A smaller airway can make breathing difficult or cause snoring.

Obesity may also put your joints at risk. Obesity is a leading risk factor for osteoarthritis in the knees, hips, and ankles. Osteoarthritis related joint inflammation and degeneration affect movement and mobility of joints considerably.

Obese people are more predisposed to develop gout. Gout develops when crystals made of a substance called uric acid build up in your joints. It’s a painful condition of joints particularly of toes and feet.

Overweight and obesity may raise your risk for occurrence of gallbladder diseases, such as gallstones and cholecystitis. People who have obesity may have higher levels of cholesterol in their bile, which can cause gallstones.

People who have obesity have a higher risk of developing inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis. High levels of fat in your blood can also raise your risk of having pancreatitis.

Obesity raises the risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, which are the most common causes of chronic kidney disease.

Obesity increases the risk of developing infertility. Obesity is associated with lower sperm count and sperm quality in men. In women, obesity is linked to problems with the menstrual cycle and ovulation.

Obesity can also affect mental health, increasing the risk for developing prolonged stress, body image problems, low self-esteem and depression .it is also associated with eating disorders.

The impact of obesity on the population

    Obesity and associated morbidities have been worsened during COVID-19. Early studies from a number of countries in the European Region indicate that the prevalence of overweight and obesity and/or mean body mass index has increased in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Childhood obesity also is a serious problem in the region.

In 2020, high BMI was attributable to 7,974 non-communicable disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100,000 population in Bulgaria, the highest burden of DALYs reported in European region. Disability-adjusted life years are the sum of the years of life lost to due to premature mortality (YLLs) and the years lived with a disability (YLDs) due to prevalent cases of the disease or condition in a population.

According to world health organization [data of 2022] more than 1 billion people worldwide are obese – 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents and 39 million children. This number is still increasing in a rapid pace everywhere on the globe.

How to manage obesity & improve health?

Mediterranean diet

   The medical & health sciences have emerged with invaluable research-based solutions to prevent occurrence of lifestyle diseases stemming from obesity. In the light of these research findings specific diet patterns have been evolved to combat non- communicable diseases as well as other morbidities related to obesity.

  The western diet is devoid of vegetables and fibers and the high contents of unhealthy carbs and fats make people predisposed to grave morbidities or diseases. Mediterranean diet is a great proposition to solve these hurdles to health in the most scientific way.

   Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that focuses on the traditional diet patterns. Mediterranean cuisines mean food choices of people of countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. They choose chiefly foods from plant kingdom, such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices etc. as the foundation foods of their diet. Olive oil is the main source of added fat. Mediterranean diet is adapted from this.

Fish, seafood, dairy and poultry are included in moderation in Mediterranean diet infrequently. Red meat and sweets are eaten only occasionally.

   Currently, Mediterranean diet is a universally accepted diet by health professionals. It was Ancel Keys, an American scientist who first noticed the relationship between the low incidence of heart diseases in some traditional Mediterranean communities and their specific dietary habits. Later research studies confirmed that Mediterranean-derived dietary interventions are not only beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but also in the therapeutic approach of obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer or neurodegenerative diseases.

  The diet give emphasis to the intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds. Healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil etc. are included in the diet.

Olive oil is one of the main ingredients that used in the Mediterranean diet and it is a great source of healthy, monounsaturated fat, which lowers total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins [bad cholesterol] levels.

Nuts and seeds also provide monounsaturated fat and are good for health if consumed in moderation.

 In this diet fish and seafood may act as a source of omega fatty acids as well as minerals like zinc and magnesium which are vital for proper functioning of heart, nervous system and skeletal system of the body.

Oily fish, such as mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna and salmon, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids also help decrease triglycerides and lower the risk of stroke and heart failure. It is also anti-inflammatory in function.

The Mediterranean Diet has proven to be effective in reducing the impact of lifestyle diseases and their complications. It is found to be effective in:

·       Lowering your risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attack, stroke etc.

·        Helping you maintain a healthy body weight.

·       Help reduce blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.

·       Lowering your risk of metabolic syndrome [ high blood pressure, obesity and bad cholesterols ]

·        Promote a healthy balance of gut microbiota [healthy bacteriae of gut] Lowering your risk for certain types of cancers [ prostate, colon cancers]

·        Slowing down the age related decline of brain functions ; that is helping to slow down the cognitive decline and dementia or memory loss and improve longevity

   Furthermore, Mediterranean diet favors foods high in fiber and antioxidants. Antioxidants protect against cancers and other grave diseases by fighting against free radicals. The fibers help to keep waste moving through your large intestine and improves gut health.  High fiber content help reduce bad cholesterol and it also reduces the risk for colorectal cancers. Antioxidants also helps to slow down ageing preventing oxidative stress to skin and vital organs.

 Want to read more about Mediterranean  diet? Follow this link please.

https://siahmsrwellness.in/mediterranean-diet-for-obesity

 Simple tips to manage obesity& weight gain

·       Reduce carbohydrate to moderate amount and the quantity as well as quality of food you take is important. Include whole grains more frequently in your diet. 

·       Include moderate amount of healthy mono and polyunsaturated fat into your diet.

·       Avoid sugary sweetened beverages.

·       Reduce alcohol intake. The scientific data available till date do not strictly restrict alcohol intake considering it as a major cause of obesity. Even though most alcoholic beverages have more calories per ounce than sugar-sweetened beverages, there’s no clear-cut evidence that moderate drinking contributes to weight gain. While the recent diet and lifestyle change study found that people who increased their alcohol intake gained more weight over time, the findings varied by type of alcohol.

·       Yogurt - A study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which found that people who increased their yogurt intake gained less weight. Increases in milk and cheese intake, however, did not appear to promote weight loss or gain. More research is needed in this area.

·       Nuts are rich in protein and fiber, both of which may help people feel fuller and less hungry.

·       People who regularly eat nuts are less likely to have heart attacks or die from heart disease than those who rarely eat them, which is another reason to include nuts in a healthy diet.

·       Whole grains-The weight control evidence is stronger for whole grains than it is for fruits and vegetables.

·       Proteins- some proteins are good for weight loss. Replacing red and processed meat with nuts, beans, fish, or poultry seems to lower obesity and the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

·       Fibers- since fibers slow down digestion, they help to curb hunger. Many fruits and vegetables are rich in fibers.

·       Lower carbohydrate, higher protein diets may have some weight loss advantages in the short term.

·       Reduce stress and stress related hormonal imbalances which may lead to obesity

·       Treat medical conditions like hypothyroidism and Cushing’s syndrome which are diseases contributing to obesity.

·       Promote physical activity through exercise programs and games.

 copyright of  all the article in siahmsrwellness.in  to Dr.sanjana vb

References

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2.     https://www.statista.com/topics/9419/obesity-in-europe/

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4.      Gotsis E., Anagnostis P., Mariolis A., Vlachou A., Katsiki N., Karagiannis A. Health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet: An update of research over the last 5 years. Angiology. 2015;66:304–318. doi: 10.1177/0003319714532169. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23553669/

5.     https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/health-risks#breathingproblems

6.    https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/close-up-person-cooking_94958778.htm#from_view=detail_alsolike

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8.    https://www.who.int/health-topics/obesity#tab=tab_1 

9.    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/causes/#:~:text=Obesity%20is%20generally%20caused%20by,by%20the%20body%20as%20fat.

10.https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_bmi/about_childrens_bmi.html