Obesity: Cause and Solution

What is obesity?

Obesity is a medical condition of a body with heavy fat. It defined by Body Mass Index. Obesity drives by a genetic and environmental factor. This condition is dreadful because it is difficult to control at the time of dieting.


Cause of obesity

Obesity is different from man to man according to BMI. When a person consumes more calories but not takes exercise to burn it. The body will store extra calories as fat and lead to excess weight and obesity.

High fats and sugar foods also cause of obesity. Such as;
  • ·        Fried foods
    ·        Fatty and processed meats
    ·        Dairy products
    ·     Foods containing hidden sugar as ketchup and other canned and packaged food items.
    ·        Sweetened juices, sodas, and alcoholic drinks
·.

Eating too much these foods and taking little exercise, the result is obesity.

Obesity in Asia

Countries and region in Asia and the Pacific have registered high rates of overweight(Helble and Francisco 2018). Two out of every five adults, or one billion people overall, are considered overweight.

Obesity in America

Recent data indicates that Americans are gaining at an alarming rate. Data from the CDC indicates that America had what the numbers that increase by 23% in 2005. But this problem is more prominent in some southern states. A survey in 2018 in America that the cause of obesity in America is mostly for taking food from a restaurant. Men and women ages 19-80 are highly attracted to it.

Obesity in Europe

The scenario is varied in different countries in Europe. As the statistics said in 2014 between 36% in Italy and 55% in Malta for women, and 54% percent in the Netherlands and 68% in Croatia for men. In2014, the proportion of women in the EU considered as being overweight or obese fell with increasing education level.

Obesity in Africa

Obesity rates are increasing rapidly in the African region. This symptom is shown particularly in an urban area.

Obesity in Australia

Source: ABS 2015d; tableS1.4.19.
·        In 2014-2015, the majority of Australian adults(63%) were overweight

The overall scenario of obesity in the world

·        Worldwide obesity is more than doubled since 1980.
·      In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese.

·        39% of adults aged 18 years and over.

·        In the world’s population, mostly they died for obesity than for underweight.

·        In 2014, 41 million children were overweight, the age of 5.
.
·        But obesity is preventable.

Obesity in Bangladesh

Imperial College London and the World Health Organization published a report that Bangladesh is facing the dual problem of both malnutrition and obesity among children, adolescent and adult. The report said by comparing (1975-2016) Body Mass Index

On the basis of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evolution(IHME) of the University of  Washington report, 7% of adults and 3% of children were overweight in Bangladesh. But in 2013 it had risen to 17% for adults but only 4.5% for children.

The rate of obesity is alarming among school going children in urban areas in Bangladesh.

According to the WHO Diabetics country profile of Bangladesh in2016, 25.1% of the population is suffering from Diabetics for physical activity. The main cause of diabetics is overweight or obesity.

Diseases caused by obesity

Heavy obesity and excess weight, this can increase the risk of developing a number of health conditions, including metabolic syndrome, arthritis and some types of cancer.

Metabolic syndrome involves a collection of issues, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Causes for childhood obesity

For a variety of reason, children become overweight. The most cause is a genetic factor, lack of physical inactivity, unhealthy eating pattern, passing time idly in front of television or computer and a combination of all these factors. And also for the hormonal problem but it is in rare case.

Mexican initiative to solve this


The 48th Union Conference on Lung Health at Guadalajara from October 11 to 14, Mexico’s steps to prevent and control NCDs.

The Latin American country has implanted 10 percent tax on sugar sweeten beverages two years back to control obesity.

An overall picture of obesity is not satisfactory and it is a dreadful threat for every human being. But it is a matter of hope that it is a preventable problem. Like the Mexican conference, many other initiatives should be taken immediately and in a large range.


Written By: Khaleda Nasrin