Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Obesity.

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Obesity is one of the biggest fast rising chronic diseases in the world today, and it still continues to become a serious problem every day. Although many campaigns, orientations, articles, and health talks are being conducted in a bid to curb obesity, obesity continues to rise regardless of all these. So here are some important things you probably don’t know about obesity;

Obesity is different from overweight

People use the term ‘obese' and ‘overweight' interchangeably to refer to a person that has gained a lot of weight that is not considered healthy. However these two terms don’t mean the same thing, people become overweight first before becoming obese. The obesity or overweightness of a person can be known by checking the body mass index (BMI) of the person if the BMI is around 25 to 29.9 the person is overweight but if it is 30 and above then the person is obese.

Obesity doesn’t affect only adults!

If you still think only adults can be obese, then you are totally wrong. Many skinny children are usually considered unhealthy or underfed children, while the fat and almost overweight ones are considered the ones that are properly fed and also healthy. This belief is a wrong one that has made many overweight children obese, due to the fact that their overweight was considered normal and healthy. So this exposes the affected children to the health problems that come with being obese.

Obesity is not just about eating too many junks

Although eating too much junk foods can contribute to the obesity of a person, it is not the main reason or the only way for an individual to become obese. Apart from bad eating habits, other factors like genetics, the absence of physical movements or activities, environmental factors, and cultural/social beliefs can also contribute to the obesity of an individual. Also, there are some specific medications that an individual might be taking that can actually make the individual gain excess weight. Some medical problems also lead to obesity.

The solution for obesity is more than just losing weight.

Although losing weight contributes greatly when treating obesity, the treatment is much more than that. It is important to be more enlightened about the disease first, then the individual has to visit a hospital so that the doctor can carry out a test and know the types of health risks and complications the individual is endangered too, and the treatment of such risks and complications. However, some cases/types of obesity usually require that the individual undergoes a surgery as part of the treatment process.

Engaging in physical activities is the greatest way to prevent obesity

There are many factors that contribute to obesity, but not having an active life or engaging in physical activities is one of the greatest reasons that can cause obesity. Many individuals including children engage in lesser physical activities, so their body doesn’t get enough energy needed to burn the excess fats in their body which leads to obesity.