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Welcome to the obesity FAQ section of HealthExpress.co.uk - The UK's favourite online clinic. We have prepared answers to some of the most popular questions regarding obesity, please get in touch if your question isn't covered below..
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What is obesity?
Obesity is a condition in which a high accumulation of fat within the bodies own fat cells to a point which can cause several sever health conditions which can lead to an increased mortality. This fat may be distributed evenly on a person, on the hips and thighs referred to as ‘pear-shaped’ which is more common amongst women or on the stomach, described as ‘apple-shaped’, more common amongst men. A measure of this condition is a persons BMI, or body max index, which is a widely used simple method of asses whether or not a person does indeed suffer from clinical obesity and at which stage of the condition they are. These stages are broken into three groups – obese, severely or morbidly obese and morbid obesity. To calculate which of these groups a patient comes under the sum of their weight needs to be taken and divided by the square of their height. Normal or average BMI is considered to be anything between 18.5-24.9, with obesity classification starting from a BMI of 30 and above. To check your own BMI you can click here. |
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How common is obesity?
Obesity is a serious world health issue with suffers of this condition increasing up to as much as five times since the end of the 1940’s. Although more common amongst women, with just over a quarter of all women in the UK being obese, the number of obese men throughout the UK is also very with around 1 in 5 suffering from this condition. Obesity has now reached such pandemic proportions that it is believed that within 10-15 years approximately a third of the world will be suffering the health implications of excess weight gain. |
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What are the serious obesity-related diseases?
As well as the physical health implications there are several more immediate psychological problems which can be developed as a direct result of being overweight or obese. These psychological ailments, including depression, a lowered self esteem and commonly the development of an inferiority complex, all contribute to diminishing a persons overall health along with the ability and motivation to treat their condition. Being overweight or can also directly or attribute to the cause or worsening of several physical health conditions. These conditions include some of the following;
- Osteoarthritis (the eventual wearing away of the joints)
- cancer (such as colon cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer and endometrial cancer)
- sleep apnea (interrupted breathing during sleep)
- diabetes
- stroke
- heart disease
- gallbladder disease
The higher an individuals BMI is the higher the chance of them developing any of these conditions becomes. Clinical studies have suggested however that with a weight loss of as little as 10-15% can drastically reduce the risks of these conditions.
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What causes obesity?
Obesity is essentially causes by consuming more calories per day than the body burns, resulting in excess energy which as a result is turned into fat stores. However, there are several attributing factors which can increase the possibility of a person developing obesity. These factors are; Genetics, Behavioural and Environmental.
Genetics
Clinical studies, notably on sets of twins, have indicated that there are several genial factors which determine the way in which our bodies regulate weight. These factors, which can affect not only how we metabolise food and store fat, but also our behaviour.
Behaviour
Behaviour plays a key part in our lifestyle and eating habits, which in turn affect our weight. Many of these factors are as a result of genetics, however it is possible for everyone to learn how to adapt and control their lifestyles.
Environmental
The number of obese people in the UK has triple over the last 25 years and is definitely not a result of coincidence. There have been drastic lifestyle changes for all of us, notably the food we eat, the accessibility and relatively low cost have all attributed to us struggling to keep a balanced diet. In addition to this, many of these foods are inadequately labelled and contained added preservatives such as salt which in excessive quantities have been proven to have health implications.
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How is obesity treated?
Obesity is caused as a result of lifestyle choices, and these habits must be changed if an obese person is to stand a good chance of losing weight. It is usually for your doctor or GP to initially send you to a dietician or a nutritionist who will create a personal diet and exercise plan. This need not involve hard and repetitive work in the gym. Walking briskly for 20 minutes each day will help to keep the heart in good working order, and start to use up much of that excess energy which is currently stored as fat.
There are a number of prescription drugs which can increase the rate at which weight loss occurs, often by stimulating the body’s metabolism while suppressing the appetite. The success rate of these treatments are quite high and as a result they are often used as second or even first line treatments for this condition.
Surgical treatment for obesity is not pleasant and is only considered for people who have a BMI level well over 30, and for whom diet and exercise has proved unsuccessful in shifting the weight. Stomach stapling and jaw wiring should not be considered unless all other options have been exhausted. |
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When is medical treatment necessary?
Obviously, not everybody needs medical treatment. If an obese patient loses weight by diet and exercise, there is no need for such treatment. Furthermore, many people do not want to have medical treatment
The main problem is to limit the treatment to persons who actually need it such as:
those with a BMI of more than 30kg/m2 who have not reduced weight by diet changes, exercise or lifestyle changes.
those with BMI of more than 28kg/m2 and the presence of risk elements or complications.
those with BMI of more than 28kg/m2 who have experienced a previous rapid increase of weight.
Medication for obesity is not yet recommended for children as we have no knowledge of possible negative effects on puberty and later eating behaviour. |
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How do I maintain my weight after weight loss?
Weight loss is obtained most effectively by diets provided by professionals. However, by far the greater challenge is achieving a way of life that maintains the weight and reduces the chances of putting it back on.
Obesity is a disease that you cannot expect to be cured of or be under clinical control within a few weeks or months. Thus, short-term treatment with medicines should be rare. Medical treatment must be expected to be necessary for years, possibly your whole life, in order to maintain the weight-loss and reduce illness. However, there is a lack of experience in medical treatment of obese patients for more than two years. The information concerning efficiency and safety of medicines used in combination with other medicines is very limited. Until we obtain more knowledge, medical treatment should be reserved for patients with high risk of complications, or patients who already have complications, for whom it is very important to maintain their weight. |
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Which medicines may be used for medical treatment?
Medications for obesity treatment contribute to weight loss and increase the number of patients who achieve a weight loss of more than 5 or 10kg. After the weight loss has been completed, the medicine helps prevent the patient from regaining the weight.
Medicines that reduce appetite help the patient eat less and stick to their diet. They work even without dieting but the loss is larger when there is a combination of the two. This is possibly due to an increased feeling of fullness and the reduction in hunger pangs because of the medication.
Some appetite-reducing medications increase the burning of calories, which intensifies the appetite reducing effect.
Another type of medication reduces the fat absorption from the bowels. It is only active in the bowels and, therefore, doesn't have the typical side effects frequently seen for appetite-reducing medications. For efficient diets, where patients with a BMI above 35kg/m2 achieve a weight loss of about 15kg within a period of six months, appetite reducing medications and other medicines to treat obesity may contribute to an extra weight loss of 3 to 6kg. Medication should only be used in a treatment program including diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.
You can find more information about getting help at our treatment page. |
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