Treatment of Obesity

An irregular and unbalanced diet, fast-food and an inactive life cause weight gain and accumulation of fat in certain vital organs. Excessive eating after a long period of hunger and too much intake of carbohydrate-based foods and sweet drinks are examples of bad eating patterns that may cause obesity.

If both parents are overweight, the risk of obesity is 80% for children. Hormonal causes of obesity include diabetes mellitus, thyroid gland diseases and adrenal gland diseases.

Healthy eating pattern and active lifestyle should be adopted at childhood to avoid abnormal fat accumulation.

Obesity calculations are based on obesity classification of World Health Organization and Body Mass Index (BMI) is the calculation method.

BMI= Weight (Kg) / square of body height expressed in meters

Calculation for an individual with body weight = 100 kg and height = 1.80 m is shown below.

• 1.8 x 1.8 = 3.24
• 100 / 3.24 = 30.8
• BMI = 30.8

According to the reference range of World Health Organization, values between 18.5 and 24.99 point to normal body weight. BMI scores above 25 indicate overweight, while scores above 30 and 40 are deemed obesity and morbid obesity, respectively.

Individuals with BMI between 35-40 who have diseases secondary to overweight, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea are deemed morbid obese regarding obesity surgery. A surgery may be considered even for patients with BMI score between 30 and 35 who has “recently diagnosed” type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic disorder.

Obesity is a clear risk factor for atherosclerosis and various cancers, such as colon, breast, kidney, urinary bladder, pancreas and prostate cancers. People with morbid obesity have to cope with dozens of problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, liver failure, sleep apnea, joint problems and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Atherosclerosis starts at early ages and progresses quickly in these individuals and it paves the way for heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, morbidly obese individuals die significantly earlier than peers due to these conditions.

Moreover, severe overweight leads to severe loss of self-confidence and social problems in children and adolescents. Morbid obesity can also be an important reason for female fertility.

Overweight parents are among factors that increase future risk of obesity in children. While genetic inheritance is linked to body weight, it cannot be hold responsible alone. Eating habits and physical activities of families also correlate with overweight.

Medication treatment or obesity surgery is not considered for children who have obesity. Generally, children are given high-calorie foods that occupy a large volume in stomach in order to suppress appetite. Slow and healthy weight loss is the optimal approach in treatment of obesity. Therefore, it is necessary to supervise the therapy patiently. Particularly, pre-adolescents lose weight slowly, as they are growing and developing. Height and weight are normalized, when height increases.

If you think your child has obesity problem or want to avoid obesity, following advices may help you.

• Encourage your child do sports activities in his/her spare time.
• Physical activities in school can be increased.
• Eating pattern of the family can be modified according to needs of the child.
• Foods which are sweet and have high nutritional value can be preferred.
• Consumption of fizzy and sweet drinks can be decreased.
• Short-distance walking or cycling can be useful.
• You can create opportunities for your child to do sports.
• Excessive gum chewing and using food as a reward should be avoided.
• Intake of sweeteners or diet products should be limited.
• You can prepare a lunch pack to have your child eat healthy foods at school.
• Packed foods such as fast-food should be avoided.
• Consumption of vegetables and fruits should be encouraged.
• Eating fast is among most effective underlying causes of obesity. Eating fast does not induce feeling of fullness. Therefore, it is necessary to chew well and eat slowly.

If both parents are overweight, the risk of obesity is 80% for the child. The figure may decrease down 40%, if only mother or father is overweight. One should always remember that the major cause of obesity is to spend dietary energy rather than eating too much.

It has been observed that parents of children, who struggle against obesity, also have a life style poor in physical activity..