Obesity: Are you also troubled by obesity? Is it because of eating disorders or something else? The doctor explained..

Obesity in India: Obesity is becoming a serious health problem globally. Usually, in earlier times, people used to ignore it as a condition that spoils the body structure; however, with time, people have understood that it is a serious condition for health as well as a problem that spoils the look.

If we look at the data, it is found that since the year 1990, obesity has doubled among adults and quadrupled among adolescents worldwide. In 2022, 2.5 billion adults (aged 18 years and above) were overweight, out of which 890 million people were obese. Talking about India alone, the rate of obesity is increasing rapidly every year here.

Between 1990 and 2022 in India, the percentage of obese children and adolescents (aged 5-19 years) increased fourfold from 2% to 8%. During the same period, the proportion of obese adults (aged 18 years and above) more than doubled from 7% to 16%.

Earlier, obesity was considered to be associated only with an urban lifestyle, but now it has spread to small towns and villages as well. Changing eating habits, excessive consumption of junk foods and sweet beverages, reduced physical activity, and stressful life are considered to be the main reasons for this. But obesity is not only a result of our habits, but many deep hormonal reasons can also be hidden behind it.

Increasing obesity and its cause

Now the question is, how to find out whether your obesity is related to disturbances in eating and lifestyle or due to hormones? Why is your weight increasing rapidly? Let's understand this in detail from the doctor.

Scientific research shows that hormones like insulin, leptin, ghrelin, and cortisol in our bodies play a big role in controlling weight. You may also have obesity problems due to an imbalance in these hormones.

Talking to Amar Ujala, Dr Ravindra Bhargava, an endocrinologist at a Pune-based hospital, says the rise in obesity in India is not just a result of lifestyle and food habits, but in many cases it can be the cause of hormonal imbalance. Only by understanding the right reasons and getting treatment based on this can you get benefits.

First, know your body mass index (BMI)

Dr says, many times even after dieting and exercising, it seems very difficult for people to lose weight. The main reason for this is that people do not know the reason for their weight gain. To know whether you are obese or not, first of all, you should pay attention to the body mass index (BMI).

This is measured on the basis of body height and weight. If someone's BMI is more than 28-30, then they should be alert.

Now, let's come to its causes.

Usually, eating disorders are considered to be the cause of obesity, which includes consuming high amounts of carbohydrates or calories, high sugar foods, and fried foods. Its simple formula is that if you are not able to burn the calories you take from food throughout the day by doing physical work, then it can lead to weight gain. Sitting at one place throughout the day, walking less, and not exercising are also factors that increase weight.

If your obesity is due to lifestyle-related reasons, then it can be controlled by improving your lifestyle. But if it is due to hormonal or any disease, then only changing the diet will not benefit you.

Hormonal causes of obesity

People whose parents or someone else in the family has an obesity problem are at a higher risk of it. Apart from this, some types of hormones also play a role in it.

For example, an imbalance of the insulin hormone not only affects blood sugar, but also increases fat storage.

On the other hand, if leptin, which is called the food satisfaction hormone, does not work properly, then the person does not stop feeling hungry. Similarly, if ghrelin, which is called the hunger hormone, becomes more active, then there is a constant desire to eat. In these situations, your weight increases rapidly.

Similarly, in people who are often under stress, fat starts accumulating around the stomach and waist due to the cortisol hormone.

If the weight is not decreasing, then seek medical help

Dr Ravindra says, the increase in obesity in India is not only the result of lifestyle and eating habits, but it can also be the result of hormonal imbalance and changing metabolism. If your weight is not being controlled even after improving diet and lifestyle, then definitely meet a doctor about this.

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