Obesity and Overweight Disorder
General Health
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data,
Obesity and overweight disorders are dramatically increasing among adults in
the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Adults aged 15 years and older from 16
countries in the MENA Region show the highest levels of overweight and obesity.
In Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates; the
prevalence of overweight and obesity ranges from 74% to 86% in women and 69% to
77% in men.
Definition
Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or
excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of
weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in
adults. It is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square
of his height in meters (kg/m2).
You can use the Adult BMI Calculator provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to
find out your BMI.
If your BMI is greater than or equal to 25, you are
overweight.
If your BMI is greater than or equal to 30, you are
obese.
Causes
The main cause of Obesity and Overweight is the
imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended.
This might happen due to general behaviors like: lack
of physical activity, increasing consumption of high calories and sugar-rich
foods, desk-work and physical inactivity, increasing urbanization, food
marketing and promotion, and lack of knowledge regarding healthy lifestyles.
Consequences
Obesity and Overweight may result in some diseases
such as:
cardiovascular diseases.
some cancers (including endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver,
gallbladder, kidney, and colon).
High blood pressure.
Type 2 diabetes.
Gallbladder.
Sleep apnea and breathing problems.
The risk for these non-communicable diseases increases, with increases
in BMI.
Reducing Obesity and Overweight
The easiest and most affordable way is to increase your physical
activity and decrease your consumption of high-fat and sugar-rich food.
WHO suggests engaging in regular physical activity (60 minutes a day for
children and 150 minutes spread through the week for adults), limit energy
intake from total fats and sugars; and increase consumption of fruit and
vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts; to maintain a healthy
lifestyle.
References:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
