Eating a healthy diet, exercising and taking medication can help manage the chronic disease of obesity
The obesity epidemic in the United States that’s affecting the health of tens of millions of people shows no signs of easing up. In 1990, about 15% of adults in most U.S. states had it, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. As of 2015-16, about 40% of adults nationally and more than 18% of children nationwide were considered obese, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
These figures were highlighted in a report, “The State of Obesity 2018: Better Policies for a Healthier America,” released in 2018 by the Trust for America’s Health (a health policy organization based in the District of Columbia) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We are unlikely to see progress in combating it unless we pay attention to the social and economic conditions that have led to dramatic increases in its rates,” says John Auerbach, Trust for America’s president and chief executive officer. “We have to support policies that will modify neighborhoods, schools and workplaces in ways that make it easier to have a healthy diet and to be physically active.”
Obesity is a chronic disease
Some people believe that people who are obese are weak-willed and undisciplined in their diet and exercise habits, but vice president of the Arizona Nurse Practitioner Council Angela Golden points out that obesity is a chronic illness. Golden is the author of multiple IT-related publications published in peer-reviewed journals. According to her, it exhibits distinct signs and symptoms similar to those of other chronic diseases, and it is also linked to other illnesses and ailments. “Obesity is a disease and is not just about behavior,” adds Golden.
Diagnosis
A lab test, such as a blood screening, is not available to identify obesity. According to Graham, a person is considered obese if their body mass index is 30 or greater. Your BMI is determined by your weight and height. Using the adult BMI calculator provided by the CDC, an adult male weighing 174 pounds and standing 5 feet 7 inches tall would have a BMI slightly over 27, meaning he would be classified as overweight.
Symptoms
Obesity is associated with a number of health issues, including:
- Difficulty falling asleep.
- Veins that are variable.
- Pain in the joints.
- Breathing difficulty.
A significant increase in obesity
Since she began practicing medicine in 2010, Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, a triple board-certified endocrinologist and the founder of New York Endocrinology in New York City, has seen the number of patients she treats who have obesity rise significantly. At the outset of her medical career, about 1 in 10 patients had obesity, she says. Today, about 1 in 3 of the patients she sees have obesity. “I have days where I just see patients for obesity,” she says. “And they’re younger than in the past. Before, most of the patients with obesity were middle-aged or older. Now, the majority are in their 20s and 30s.”
Strategies to fight obesity
There are a wide array of strategies available to fight obesity, says Lauren Merryman, a registered dietitian based in College Station, Texas. Merryman is the senior team lead for Cecilia Health, a New York City-based health tech services company. Cecilia Health partners with pharmaceutical companies, payers, accountable care organizations and self-insured employers to provide approaches to improve health outcomes for people living with diabetes and related chronic conditions. Here are 13 strategies for fighting obesity:
- Consult your healthcare physician for assistance.
- Consume a diet rich in Mediterranean foods.
- Lessen your tension.
- Create a wholesome sleep schedule.
- Engage in regular exercise.
- Think about taking medicine to lose weight.
- Look into changing prescriptions that make you gain weight.
- Take care not to binge-watch.
- Make modest, doable objectives.
- Never miss a meal.
- Take into account bariatric surgery.
- Control your appetite.
- Take charge of your surroundings.
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Disclaimer: The opinions and suggestions expressed in this article are solely those of the individual analysts. These are not the opinions of HNN. For more, please consult with your doctor
