OBESITY Shortens Lifespan

HEALTH IS WEALTH
“Obesity is a mental state, a disease brought about by boredom and disappointment.” – Cyril Connoly

Every sensible doctor says that simply being overweight from an early age increases the risk of early death. More so, if the overweight is also a smoker, then, the risk is nearly five times more likely to die prematurely than a non-smoker who is thin.

Statistics reveal that at least a billion people in the world are overweight, according to the World Health Organization. Obesity rates have soared over the past three decades especially among children.

Earlier studies have shown that being fat decreases lifespan and leads to increase rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The ideal or desirable weight as expressed in “Body-Mass Index” (BMI) of normal adults should have an average weight that range from 18.5 – 24.9 or less than 25. Apparently, obese people have a BMI of 30 to 40 – all candidates to an early death.

Psychiatrists define obesity as “a psycho physiologic disorder of the gastrointestinal system characterized in excessive drive to eat and overweight.” Authorities believe that obesity is due largely to psychological factors.

The tendency to obesity usually begins in childhood. Parents may unconsciously want their children to become big or heavy. Hence, they force their children to eat more because of the mistaken impression that a “fat child is a healthy child.” This attitude remains a fixed pattern all the rest of the person’s life.

In many instances, food tends to take on the unconscious symbolic meaning of approval and acceptance. As a consequence, the young person develops a drive to eat well when he feels disappointed, lonely, or rejected.

Food becomes a habitual refuge and before he knows it, he becomes a fullblown case of “psychosomatic obesity.” Remember, food is not another word for love. Discipline, hugs, kisses and attention are the healthiest signs of affection of all.

Binge-eaters become a truly compulsive, uncontrollable drive to over eat, a deep-seated personality need. Studies have shown that many obese individuals felt unwanted, inadequate and insecure as children.

They began to overeat to attract attention and approval as well as to be important and conspicuous in the eyes of their parents.

Overweight interferes with participation in sports and social life activities – a form of “retreat behind the wall of fat.” Obesity is a subtle escape from the risk of social life and marriage and as the saying goes: “Nobody likes a fat girl.”

Other common causes of obesity include:

• Heredity. It runs in the family – a genetic factor.

• Environmental Factor. Families can now afford to buy fat-saturated and processed foods in the market and groceries. A lot of foodchains selling highly fatty and sweetened foods.

• Sedentary Lifestyle. Most overweight people utterly lack the necessary exercise. They have minimum physical activities and accumulate extra pounds of fat.

• Cultural Habits and Customs. People with voracious appetite and love to attend celebrations and parties consuming over-required calories rich in fats and carbohydrates (large amount of rice, noodles, bread, sweetened foods. i.e. ice cream, soft drinks, etc.) Generally, they are not weight-watchers.

Treatment of obesity is essentially geared towards awareness of the prevailing mentioned causes. Psychotherapy is basically needed to make the victim of overweight be aware of the unconscious drive to eat excessively and uncontrollably. Family Therapy is also included in the overall program.

It would become more effective and facilitated to enlist the expertise of nutritionist, physical therapist and medical Internist (a metabolic specialist) for a more effective and safer management of “globesity.” A modern drastic approach for extra obese reduction is through an intensive heavy exercise and a special diet program.

Hence, strive to develop a “model body” image and live a healthier, more attractive and a much longer lifespan. Agree?