Tag Archives: Obesity health risks

Cancer and weight

Heart functions and the threat of obesity

Heart functions

Heart functions and the threat of obesity demands that we must make all efforts of kicking obesity out of our lives

Heart functions and the threat of obesity: Overweight and Obesity

The heart is such a special organ in the body which needs lots of care. Anything affecting the heart leaves a scar and scare not just to the individual victim, but to the whole family. When this happens, the heart functions are hindered and the family programs equally come to a halt at times. Our focus in this article is going to be on poor weight management as a tool that can affect the heart functions badly. We are going to be seeking the professional input of doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President, and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center over this so that we are precise and professional. We are all alive because we bear some weight. Weight is a component in life that we cannot ignore but like in any other good thing under the earth, when its application is done in excess it becomes dangerous. In the same way as human beings we must have the certain degree of weight from all the good reason however when weight is in excess, it becomes a problem to the human body and hence the saying “too much of something is dangerous”.

Like we have said the heart is such an important organ in the body and its functions must be perfect, regular and consistent all the times. Let’s, therefore, acquaint ourselves with the definitions of certain terms for a better understanding of our point of discussion. The terms “overweight” and “obesity” refer to body weight that’s beyond what is considered healthy for a given height. It is believed that in America alone, more than two-thirds of the adult population are overweight with about one-third of these adults being obese. Overweight and obesity are measured by the use of body mass index (BMI). For an adult, the normal weight is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 anything 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight while a BMI of 30 and more is obese.

Heart functions and the threat of obesity: Health risk involved

Being overweight or obese can raise your risk of CHD and heart attack. This is mainly because when it comes to the relationship between obesity and heart failure it’s always very complicated. Obesity is intimately interwoven with multiple health conditions that underlie cardiovascular disease including:

  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes and
  • Abnormal blood cholesterol

Away from all this, being overweight is a common consequence of heart-damaging lifestyles like lack of exercise and a fat-laden diet. For some time now, scientists have suspected that excess fat tissue, especially around the waist, has a direct effect on heart structure and function, even without the association of other heart disease risks. In pursuing this philosophy, researchers evaluated some 950 older individuals of different weights for signs of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction a condition characterized by changes in the structure of the heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle), which prevent it from filling sufficiently between beats. Although LV diastolic dysfunction can be symptomless, it reliably predicts future heart failure. (Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle weakens or stiffens to the extent that it can no longer meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen.)

In this study, the subjects were separated into three weight groups that are normal, overweight, and obese based on their body-mass index (BMI). Each subject underwent a noninvasive echocardiogram exam to measure the dimensions of the heart, muscle thickness and filling capacity of the left ventricle. It was then established that the overweight and obese participants were more prone to abnormal diastolic function than the normal weight individuals. Nonetheless when the researchers controlled for the effects of the other risks, the overweight, and obese subject still had up to a 60% higher chance of having LV diastolic dysfunction. It also made a difference how much extra body fat the person carried. The risk of abnormal heart function went up 4% for each point increase in BMI measurement. Looking at the dangers attached, timely professional help is highly recommended and scheduling an appointment with doctor Akoury should be your starting point.

Heart functions and the threat of obesity: Overweight and Obesity

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Obesity addiction

Defeating childhood obesity health risks

Defeating childhood obesity

Defeating childhood obesity health risks begins with parents being role model for their children in their lifestyle

Defeating childhood obesity health risks: The genetics of being obese or overweight

Could it be that you are struggling with weight problems because of your gene? It is possible that if any of your parents were obese or overweight you could be suffering because of inheritance. Statistics from the experts indicate that 5 out of 10 children who have one parent who is obese will become obese themselves while 8 out of 10 children with both parents who are obese will also become obese themselves. This may partly be due to learning bad eating habits from your parents as a child. But, some people actually inherit a tendency in their genes that makes them prone to overeating. It is however not fully understood how this genetic factor works. It has something to do with the control of appetite and that brings us to the topic of defeating childhood obesity. When you eat, certain hormones and brain chemicals send messages to parts of your brain to say that you have had enough and to stop eating. In some people, this control of appetite and the feeling of fullness (satiety) may be faulty, or not as good as it is in others.

However, if you do inherit a tendency to overeat, it is not inevitable that you will become overweight or obese. You can learn about the power of your appetite, ways to resist it, be strict on what you eat and do some regular physical activity. But you are likely to struggle more than most people where your weight is concerned. You may find it more difficult to stop yourself from gaining weight or to lose weight.

Defeating childhood obesity health risks: Lack of adequate sleep

Not getting enough sleep has been suggested as another possible risk factor for obesity in children. There seems to be a trend of children going to bed later but, also, too little physical exercise can lead to poor sleep. The two hormones known as leptin and ghrelin may be important here.

  • Leptin is released by fat cells to tell your brain that fat stores are sufficient.
  • Ghrelin is released by your stomach as a signal of hunger.

In someone who does not have enough sleep, leptin levels are low and ghrelin levels are high. These changes in hormone levels may encourage a child to eat more.

In conclusion having known the causes of this unhealthy condition, together we can kick this out of our families and from our children’s lives. Our children must not grow into obese adults by all means. Doctor Akoury will be there for you and your family to help you bring up health children free from being obese or overweight all you need to do is to schedule for an appointment with her today. Our next article will major on “What should I do if I am worried that my child is overweight or obese?”

Defeating childhood obesity health risks: The genetics of being obese or overweight

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The risks causes and prevention of Obesity

The risks causes and prevention of Obesity: Why Obesity is still a threat

The risks causes and prevention of Obesity

The risks causes and prevention of obesity are very realistic. Obesity can be prevented and weight loss is also very possible.

This are not new thing to you about obesity. We have made effort to talk about the risks causes and prevention of obesity nearly in all the weight related articles we have posted in this link. And despite the efforts we are making together with many other weight concern institutions, the reported statistics is very worrying. American being one of the biggest casualties several reports have indicated that overweight and obesity are becoming epidemic. Not once but may times we have posted useful information that being overweight or obese puts you at risk for various chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, and respiratory disorders. I believe that at the mention of these diseases your eye brows rises in amazement. I can tell that am being honest with you on this because the risk of developing these diseases is even higher when weight is concentrated near and around the waist line (the belly fat). If this describes your situation, I want to encourage you to talk to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the MD and founder of the facility, will be able to address all your concerns diligently and professionally.

In the meantime let me take a moment to draw to your attention to some of the available statistics about obesity and more so in America. Obesity is a growing problem. In view of the National Institutes of Health report, 60% of American adults are overweight and 35% are considered obese, while about 25% of American children are overweight or obese. The sad news is that the escalation of the problem is on a fast high way late at an abnormal high speed. There is great fear that if current trends continue, more than half of American adult population are likely to be confirmed obese inside the next 15 years. We appreciate that taking weight off and keeping it off, is difficult and despite the difficulties, many people who have made effort to lose weight, later relapse and gain it back either in small portion or in its entirety.

Despite continuing research on obesity, there are no medications, herbs, or supplements that can help you lose a significant amount of weight, and all have some side effects. The only way to lose weight is to reduce the amount of calories you eat and increase your activity level. These actions improve your health in many ways in addition to helping you lose weight.

The risks causes and prevention of Obesity: Signs and Symptoms

The most immediate indicator of the presence of obesity is usually determined by body mass index, or BMI. If your BMI is 25 or 30 or 40 then you are overweight, obese and extremely obese respectively. Doctor Akoury states that a high waist-to-hip ratio increases the risk for developing serious, even life threatening conditions associated with obesity. Some of the conditions that may accompany obesity include:

  • High cholesterol
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Sleep apnea
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Gallstones
  • Cognitive dysfunction
  • Depression
  • Cancer
  • Asthma

The risks causes and prevention of Obesity: What Causes It?

Researchers know that obesity is the result of eating more calories than we burn off through activity, but a number of factors contribute to obesity some of which are listed below:

  • Diet and good nutrition – I will pose this question to you, what do you eat? If your food is rich in high-fat, high-calorie foods causes weight gain.
  • Living an inactive life without exercise – I would say that don’t try this at home because it has been established that sedentary people don’t burn as many calories as active people.
  • Genetics and relationships – Your genes may influence how much fat your body stores and where it is stored. However this alone may not mean that you will be obese.
  • Age particularly the old age – As we get closer to our sunset days, our rate of being active in life goes down gradually because at this stage, we often ignore physical activities and eventually lose muscle mass.
  • Psychological issues – Food is very interesting and how people behave with it. Did you know that some people overeat when they are upset or stressed? And you can imagine the consequences of stress and over eating put together.
  • Medications – Some drugs, such as corticosteroids, blood pressure medication, and tricyclic antidepressants, can cause you to gain weight.
  • Medical problems – Hardly will you find that people are becoming overweight or obese and in the contrary obesity is as a result of a medical conditions like Cushing syndrome (where the adrenal glands produce too much hormone) or hypothyroidism (where the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormone). Conditions such as osteoarthritis cause people to be less active, which can lead to weight gain.
  • Prenatal environmental factors – Several studies show that adult men and women who were born small for their gestational age are more likely to be overweight or obese than those who were of normal size at birth. Maternal smoking and excess weight gain is also associated with offspring obesity.

The risks causes and prevention of Obesity: Risk Factors

The kind of lifestyle we live can impact on us either positively or negatively. For us to be on the safe side of life free from all weight related issues, we all have a duty to shun away from the following factors may increase your risk for becoming obese:

  • Living in an industrialized country, especially the United States where natural activities like walking has been taken over by escalators and high locomotives among many others
  • Genetically having family members who are overweight or obese
  • Not being physically active
  • Overeating
  • Eating a high-fat diet
  • Taking certain prescription medications
  • Having a hormone disorder, such as Cushing syndrome or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
  • Being emotionally stressed (from the death of a loved one, for example), which may cause overeating
  • Prenatal exposures, such as smoking
  • Low-income individuals the most inexpensive foods tend to be high in fat and sugar
  • Early sexual or physical abuse
The risks causes and prevention of Obesity: Preventive Care

The best way to prevent weight gain is to eat a healthy diet and exercise daily. Keeping a food and exercise journal, where you record what you eat and how long you exercise, is an excellent way to get started. This is one of the best preventive measures we can easily adapt. And of course this will go hand in hand with good nutrition and a well-balanced diet. We advocate for prevention because it is easier to prevent than to treat the weight related complications. Therefore we would want to encourage you to schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for more professional insight.

The risks causes and prevention of Obesity: Why Obesity is still a threat

 

 

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