Understanding the Prevalence and Causes of Obesity and Lifestyle Diseases

Obesity is a condition characterized by having an excessive amount of body fat. It is typically diagnosed based on a person’s body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 650 million adults worldwide were obese in 2016.

Lifestyle diseases are chronic conditions that are often preventable by making positive lifestyle changes. These conditions include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. According to the American Diabetes Association, over 34 million Americans have diabetes, and it is estimated that over 70% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for over 17 million deaths in 2019 alone.

Obesity and lifestyle diseases are caused by a combination of factors, including genetic predisposition, unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity, and certain medical conditions. Unhealthy eating habits include consuming foods high in calories, fat, sugar, and salt, while not getting enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Another factor that contributes to obesity and lifestyle diseases is physical inactivity. People who are physically inactive are more likely to gain weight, which can lead to obesity. Let’s delve into the causes of obesity and lifestyle diseases in detail.

Genetic Factors:

Genetic predisposition plays a role in the development of obesity and lifestyle diseases. Certain genes can influence an individual’s metabolism, appetite, and fat storage, making them more susceptible to weight gain and associated health issues.

Poor Diet:

A diet high in processed foods, unhealthy fats, sugars, and low in essential nutrients, fiber, and whole foods can contribute to obesity and lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Sedentary Lifestyle:

Lack of physical activity and an increased reliance on technology and sedentary forms of entertainment can lead to weight gain and increased risk for lifestyle diseases. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of chronic conditions.

Stress:

Chronic stress can lead to hormonal imbalances, increased appetite, and poor food choices, which can contribute to obesity and lifestyle diseases. Managing stress through techniques such as meditation, yoga, or mindfulness can help maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Sleep Deprivation:

Insufficient sleep can disrupt hormonal balance and increase appetite, leading to weight gain and increased risk for lifestyle diseases. Prioritising quality sleep is essential for overall health and well-being.

Socioeconomic Factors:

Economic status, education level, and access to healthy food options can influence an individual’s dietary choices and overall health. Addressing these socioeconomic disparities is crucial for reducing the prevalence of obesity and lifestyle diseases.

Environmental Factors:

The built environment, including the availability of safe spaces for exercise, walkability of neighbourhoods, and access to healthy food options, can impact an individual’s ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Creating supportive environments can help promote healthier behaviours.

Emotional Factors:

Emotional eating, using food as a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, or depression, can lead to weight gain and increase the risk of lifestyle diseases. Addressing the emotional triggers and developing healthier coping strategies is essential for long-term weight management.

Medical Conditions and Medications:

Certain medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), can contribute to weight gain and obesity. Additionally, some medications can cause weight gain as a side effect. Consulting a healthcare professional to manage these conditions and explore alternative treatments when necessary can help mitigate their impact on weight and overall health.

Tobacco Intake, Smoking, and Alcohol Consumption:

Tobacco intake, smoking, and alcohol consumption are all risk factors for obesity and lifestyle diseases. These habits can lead to weight gain, decrease metabolism, increase appetite, and increase the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, liver disease, and diabetes. Reducing or eliminating these habits can help prevent and manage obesity and lifestyle diseases.

Overall, the rise of obesity and lifestyle diseases is a complex issue that is influenced by a variety of factors. Addressing these factors through preventive healthcare strategies, such as promoting healthy eating habits, increasing physical activity, and improving access to healthcare, can help prevent and manage these conditions and improve overall health outcomes

The Impact of Obesity and Lifestyle Diseases on Health and Well-being

The impact of obesity and lifestyle diseases on health and well-being is far-reaching, affecting various body systems and increasing the risk of developing other health issues. By understanding the consequences of these conditions, we can better appreciate the importance of preventive healthcare strategies and adopt healthier lifestyles. 

Increased risk of chronic diseases:

These conditions can impair the cardiovascular system, leading to hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure. They also negatively affect the respiratory system, contributing to sleep apnea, asthma, and reduced lung function. In the endocrine system, obesity and lifestyle diseases can cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, damaging blood vessels and vital organs. Additionally, these conditions strain the musculoskeletal system, leading to osteoarthritis and fractures, and disrupt the digestive system, causing GERD, gallstones, and liver diseases.

Reduced quality of life:

Obesity and lifestyle diseases can impact an individual’s quality of life, causing physical limitations and reduced mobility. These conditions can also lead to social and emotional challenges, such as anxiety, depression, and social isolation.

Increased healthcare costs:

The treatment and management of obesity and lifestyle diseases can be costly, both to the individual and to society as a whole. This can include expenses such as medication, medical procedures, and hospitalizations, as well as lost productivity and decreased economic output.

Impact on mental health:

Obesity and lifestyle diseases can also have an impact on an individual’s mental health. These conditions can cause feelings of shame, guilt, and low self-esteem, which can contribute to the development of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Shortened life expectancy:

Obesity and lifestyle diseases are associated with a shortened life expectancy. These conditions increase the risk of premature death, particularly when they are not effectively managed or treated

Impact on the healthcare system:

The prevalence of obesity and lifestyle diseases places a significant burden on the healthcare system. This can include a strain on healthcare resources, increased demand for healthcare services, and a shortage of healthcare professionals.

The Importance of Preventive Healthcare in Combating Obesity and Lifestyle Diseases

As healthcare professionals, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to promote preventive healthcare by adopting healthier lifestyles. Preventive healthcare is an important tool in combating obesity and lifestyle diseases, as it helps individuals to identify and address potential health risks before they manifest into severe conditions. Here are some strategies to implement:

Risk Factor Identification:

The first step is to identify the risk factors contributing to obesity and lifestyle diseases, such as poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption. This helps to target specific areas where intervention is needed.

Risk Factor Modification:

By addressing modifiable risk factors, such as diet, physical activity, and smoking, preventive healthcare can help reduce the incidence of obesity and associated diseases. Healthcare professionals can educate patients on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and provide them with the necessary tools and resources to make positive changes.

Early Detection and Intervention:

Implement appropriate screening measures for risk factors and early signs of lifestyle diseases, such as blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol testing, and diabetes screening. Regular screening for risk factors and early signs of lifestyle diseases enables timely intervention, preventing complications and reducing morbidity and mortality. Healthcare professionals can recommend appropriate screening tests and follow-up care for patients at risk.

Chronic Disease Management:

Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in the management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, by ensuring patients adhere to prescribed treatment plans and monitoring their progress. This helps reduce the risk of complications, improve the quality of life, and lower healthcare costs.

Preventive healthcare plays a pivotal role in combating obesity and lifestyle diseases by adopting a multifaceted approach that addresses risk factors, early detection, and management of these conditions. 

Patient Education and Awareness:

Educate patients about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and the risks associated with obesity and lifestyle diseases. Provide them with up-to-date information and resources to empower them to make informed decisions about their health.

Continuous Evaluation and Improvement:

Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of preventive healthcare measures in combating obesity and lifestyle diseases. Use data-driven insights to improve existing strategies and implement new evidence-based practices to enhance patient outcomes.

In conclusion, the growing prevalence of obesity and lifestyle diseases presents a significant challenge to global health. However, by embracing and implementing preventive healthcare strategies, we can effectively combat these pressing issues. By focusing on healthy diets, regular physical activity, tobacco cessation, responsible alcohol consumption, stress management, and regular health screenings, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of developing these chronic conditions. By adopting these strategies and  fostering a culture of prevention and addressing the root causes of obesity and lifestyle diseases, we can work together to create a healthier society and ease the burden on our healthcare system. Ultimately, the key to overcoming and preventing these conditions lies in our collective commitment to prioritising preventive healthcare and making healthy choices a fundamental aspect of our daily lives.

Composed by: “Varsha, proficient as a Business Analyst, has an educational foundation in healthcare IT, acquired through a PGDHM from IIHMR Delhi. Her primary interest rests at the intersection of healthcare and technology, with a specific focus on harnessing cutting-edge tech solutions to revolutionize patient care and enhance healthcare systems. Her work areas comprise optimizing healthcare data flow and improving operational efficiency, driving enhanced patient care and system robustness.”

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Gout and diabetes are debilitating conditions that cause severe repercussions if left untreated. Gout is a form of arthritis caused by a build-up of uric acid in the body, while type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition characterised by high blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes is caused by your body’s inability to use insulin to regulate blood sugar levels properly. Gout typically causes sudden, severe pain and swelling in joints, especially in the feet or lower legs.

But is there a connection between gout and diabetes?

The Link Between Gout and Diabetes

A 2016 study published in the PMC indicated that women with gout had 71% more chances of developing type 2 diabetes, while only 22% of men with gout had an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Allopurinol, a common gout treatment, has shown promise in lowering heart muscle thickening and is currently being tested as a potential drug to lower the risk of diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease).

Although diabetes and gout are two significantly different health conditions, they share a close relationship where insulin resistance plays a key role. Insulin resistance occurs when your body cells don’t respond to the hormone insulin, preventing glucose from entering them. As a result, the pancreas produces more and more insulin in an attempt to keep blood sugar levels within a normal range. Over time, this can lead to high levels of circulating insulin in the bloodstream.

How Insulin Resistance Is Related to both Gout & Diabetes?

• Diabetes and Insulin Resistance: When your body cannot produce enough insulin or use the insulin created, your blood sugar level rises, leading to diabetes. Insulin resistance can cause your blood sugar levels to rise, which might lead to diabetes.
• Gout and Insulin Resistance: You can develop gout with the excess build-up of uric acid in your body. A study in 2016 showed that uric acid build-up could worsen your insulin resistance, leading to diabetes.

What are the Risk Factors for Gout and Diabetes?

Some of the common things that can affect your diabetes and gout are:

• Obesity: Excess body fat might increase your risk of gout and diabetes
• Too much alcohol: If you exceed the intake of alcohol levels, it might affect the production of insulin in your pancreas, leading to increased chances of developing type 2 diabetes and gout
• Family history: Having a family history of gout or diabetes can also contribute to the risk factor of developing these conditions
• Other health problems: High blood pressure or cholesterol might also have a concerning contribution to developing diabetes and gout

Apart from these common risk factors, eating a diet high in purine, like red meat, lentils, spinach, oily fish, asparagus, oatmeal, and beans, can cause its components to break down into uric acid and develop the risk of gout.

Certain medications can help reduce the production amount of uric acid in your body, while some can strengthen your kidney’s ability to filter out toxins from the body, reducing the chances of a gout flare-up.

How to Manage Gout and Diabetes?

To control diabetes and gout, it’s necessary to keep your blood sugar and uric acid in control. For that to happen, make necessary lifestyle and habit changes like:

1. Try to Lose Excess Weight

Excess weight has been linked to both illnesses, and dropping pounds can reduce the risk of developing either. It’s important to note that any diet undertaken should be done safely, as drastic changes could lead to serious health complications. Experts suggest people start by making small dietary changes, such as reducing portions or cutting unhealthy foods out of meals if possible. Talk to a dietician or a nutritionist to help you with your weight loss journey.

2. Maintain a Healthy Diet

People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing gout due to high glucose levels and insulin resistance. A healthy diet can reduce this risk by helping to regulate blood sugar levels and promoting weight loss which helps reduce inflammation in the body.

3. Workout Regularly

Exercise helps maintain healthy levels of uric acid in the body, reducing inflammation and relieving symptoms such as swelling, redness, and tenderness around affected joints. Additionally, physical activity increases circulation, which can help reduce stiffness around joints caused by gout flare-ups. For people with diabetes, exercise is essential in controlling blood sugar levels to allow the body to use insulin more efficiently.

4. Keep Other Health Issues in Check

Improving the management of other diseases can help manage your gout and diabetes. Try to keep a healthy weight and take control of other chronic conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and kidney diseases.

How to Treat Gout?

Certain medications can help reduce the production amount of uric acid in your body, while some can strengthen your kidney’s ability to filter out toxins from the body, reducing the chances of a gout flare-up. However, in some cases, these medications to stop gout flare-ups can cause one because the sudden dip in uric acid levels forms crystals on the joints. But you can take medications to manage the pain and treat flare-ups. To do that, your doctors may prescribe you colchicine, corticosteroids, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

How to Treat Diabetes?

There isn’t any permanent cure for diabetes; however, you can treat and manage this chronic health condition to prevent its complications by regularly taking insulin to control your blood glucose levels.

When to See a Doctor

The early diagnosis of chronic health conditions like diabetes and gout is better for keeping the conditions under proper control. If you think you are experiencing symptoms of gout or diabetes, it’s best to see the doctor immediately to prevent flare-ups.

Composed by: “Krishma Patel is the Co-founder and the Superintendent Pharmacist at MedsNow, an online pharmacy in the UK that provides health and wellness products and treatments along with free online consultations. “

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The near tripling of worldwide obesity since 1975, as reported by the World Health Organisation, is an indication of our failure to identify and curb a complex condition with health implications spanning from psychological complications to chronic health disorders. The early to mid-twentieth century witnessed obesity in the groups dominating the socioeconomic ladder, with malnutrition wreaking havoc on the other side of the spectrum. According to NCD (none communicable disease) Risk Factor Collaboration (2019), rural areas now contribute 55% to the world’s rise in mean body mass index (BMI), a statistic previously dominated by the urban population.

The new age of obesity has expanded its range and has mutated to coexist with undernutrition, giving way to a paradoxical amalgamation of the worst of the two worlds. Regular consumption of calorie-dense and nutrient-scarce meals temporarily relieves the brain of its hunger but also leaves a void, essential for various bodily processes, warranting deficiencies and creating favourable conditions for chronic diseases to flourish. Data from worldobesity.org predicted the burden on India’s economy by 2060 to cross the 400 billion mark. 

Considering obesity’s alliance with life-threatening conditions and the resulting financial stress in today’s world, it has renounced its societal status from being a personal struggle in the past to a global threat today. Addressing obesity requires pulling the plugs on the supporting factors that have caused this evil seed to flourish and pollute the faculties responsible for a healthy life. 

The subscribers to these bloggers reported feeling empowered and improved mental well-being as a consequence of belonging to a supportive community.

Visual Normalization Theory (VNT)

Research has consistently shown that when confronted with questions about one’s perceived weight, relatively healthier people provide realistic numbers, and people who weigh more, or are on the brink of obesity, underestimate considerably. A nationwide survey conducted in the UK, in 2013, reported that 55% of men and 31% of women denied being overweight even though they were. Eric Robinson, from Liverpool University, proposed this theory to dissect the widely accepted proposition that underestimation of weight can further complicate a person’s comeback from their actual weight. The incorrect estimate of one’s weight is either an honest admission or a deliberate attempt to sustain the preexisting state of denial, evading being categorised as part of a stigmatised social group.

As Eric Robinson wrote in his paper (Overweight but unseen: a review of the underestimation of weight status and a visual normalization theory), “Perception is shaped by previous experience, and because of this, increased obesity prevalence is likely to have recalibrated visual body‐weight norms”. Gradual tuning of one’s perception influenced by visual familiarity with heavier bodies has impaired the ability to identify and separate healthy from unhealthy, widening the inclusivity of the previously rigid health norms. Flexible norms have psychological merits as it lends the comfort of being a part of the ‘healthy group’, a luxury otherwise bestowed to the people occupying the lower end of the BMI scale. Robert E. Roberts and Hao T. Duong found a strong independent association between perceived weight and major depression in adolescents, suggesting an etiologic link between obesity and depression, with weight perception bridging the gap.

Perception untouched by awareness begets confusion, not leaving much space for potentially helpful interventions. Weight issues, be it anorexia or an alarming fat-reserve growth, emerge from calorie imbalance. Failure to acknowledge this gives way to fear-infused individualised definitions for an already well-researched phenomenon that doesn’t require more versions. 

Hunter-Gatherers

Hunter-gatherers only have access to food when they deliberately decide to move and aren’t privileged to get food delivered to them by a fellow homo sapien. They largely survive on nutrient-rich, low-calorie diets and have excellent cardiovascular and metabolic health, not to forget, that obesity prevalence in this community, as reported by H Pontzer and team, is below 5%. Physical activity and low-calorie diets are the reasons behind this community’s exceptional health, and one doesn’t need a specialised degree to acknowledge that. The spread of such information should be our motive in eradicating doubts from the minds struggling with their weight. This, however, comes with another set of problems that deserve a separate section. 

Insecurities and Body Positivity

Body positivity is the new age’s tool that gets wielded by people every time their insecurities are cornered. Under this movement, terms like fat, obese, and overweight are derogatory slurs directed at big-bodied people. In short, should not be used in the public domain. This movement previously concerned those subjected to fat-shaming and was an attempt to help them feel a little more accepted in an already fragmented world. F. C Stanford and the team said body positivity took the shape of a campaign to spread awareness of the harms caused by weight bias and fat shaming.

What started as a helping hand to a marginalised group has now become an excuse to not only justify being obese but also glorify it. A precise and more problematic version of the body positivity movement is fat acceptance. Unlike body positivity, fat acceptance is more convergent in its purpose of bringing the fat population together to fight the constant ridicule and prejudice they face regularly. Apart from spreading awareness, this united front against bullies has erroneously convinced people to feel proud of being obese. Marissa Dickens, with fellow scientists, examined the experiences of 44 bloggers from the Fatosphere community in their peer-reviewed article; The role of the fatosphere in fat adults’ responses to obesity stigma: a model of empowerment without a focus on weight loss.

According to researchers, to rise above the obesity stigma, these bloggers suggested reframing inappropriately directed slurs to dodge the psychological trauma that usually accompanies it and to stay clear of committing to losing weight as a consequence of the criticism. The subscribers to these bloggers reported feeling empowered and improved mental well-being as a consequence of belonging to a supportive community. As a coping mechanism, fat acceptance delusively warrants access to self-esteem but misses the target altogether, concerning itself only with self-acceptance and not the realisation of the threat obesity poses.

Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health, defines obesity-associated health risks “as an illness that harms virtually every aspect of health, from shortening life and contributing to chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease to interfering with sexual function, breathing, mood, and social interactions”. Addressing the harmful psychological remnants of fat shaming and overlooking the urgency to lose weight is like severing the stem of a wild plant and expecting it to exterminate. A movement brought into motion only to make everyone agree with the individualised definition of obesity: fat acceptance accurately defines the cultural zeitgeist of the ongoing 2020s.

To move or become less active is a choice like restraining or giving into every urge to eat. It sure is more challenging not to fall for hunger every time, and insatiable eating habits make the struggle worse.

Fat-Free Mass & the Way Forward

Unfortunately, dodging reality won’t change the horror that is obesity. To fight this multi-faceted illness, we first need to address the relentless efforts of people wanting to impose their version of health on society to define the silver lining in this widely ridiculed disease. Then, we must stress adopting some well-needed lifestyle changes to dial the fat percentage down and enhance the fat-free mass simultaneously. R Burrows and colleagues, in their article “Low muscle mass is associated with cardiometabolic risk regardless of nutritional status in adolescents: A cross-sectional study in a Chilean birth cohort”, found that children with relatively better muscle mass were less likely to develop cardiometabolic diseases than those with low muscle mass, reporting in line with the previously observed association between fat-free mass and chronic health diseases.

In another study, “Muscle Mass Index as a Predictor of Longevity in Older Adults”, where a massive cohort of older adults was followed-up to interpret the influence of muscle mass on all-cause mortality, an inverse impact was derived. As concluded in the examples above, quality and longevity of life are both governed by muscle mass relative to the height of a person. Skeletal muscle dominates adipose tissue (body fat) in ramping up the body’s calorie expenditure at rest, aiding the total daily energy expenditure or TDEE. These benefits aren’t only available to those predisposed genetically to build muscle and are accessible to individuals capable of moving weight. To move or become less active is a choice like restraining or giving into every urge to eat. It sure is more challenging not to fall for hunger every time, and insatiable eating habits make the struggle worse.

On the contrary, satiating eating habits help dial down hunger, facilitating restraint from food when you have had enough. Journeying back from obesity can seem a little daunting at first, and adopting the conventional methods to lose fat can pose unwarranted stress on the mind and body. This usually happens when expectations hang beyond the pragmatic understanding of fat loss and meet the widely popular quick-fix methods. 

The only way to deal with the carnage obesity has caused and will cause in the future, is by changing our attitude toward it. Let’s do it now before it’s too late.

Composed by: “Sarthak Kapoor is an exercise scientist associated with BASES (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) certified sport and presently pursuing a master’s from Liverpool John Moore’s University in Clinical Exercise Physiology.”

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Obesity is one of the leading problems that phcians and technicians face in emergency and tertiary care set up. It not only leads to a number of deadly diseases but also makes the patient management awful for the doctor. This article will enlighten the facts how obesity is a curse to the patient as well as the attending physician in an emergency set up, studies regarding the subject as well as how we can overcome the situation.

Obesity is one of the most common morbid problems in the modern era. It has become a part and parcel of our society. The problem is a lot bigger than it seems to be. It’s about survival and not merely related to fitness only. Obesity is a condition that predisposes an individual to a number of diseases , worsens them and even hinders recovery. It is one of the biggest enemies the emergency department doctors face. It delays diagnosis of a condition, closes a few doors of treatment , carries a number of co-morbidities with it and what not ! 

In order to counter a problem we must first know what is obesity or overweight? Grossly, accumulation of excessive fat is called obesity but it has a compact quantifiable definition. First we need to have an idea about Body Mass Index i.e Body Weight(KG) / Body Surface Area(m²) A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. The numbers coming up are going to shock you even more. In 2017 , over 4 million people were thrown into the mouth of death just because of this demon called obesity. Such a huge number indicates that the problem has already become an epidemic and not merely a sporadic issue. This monster affects every age group and economical section of the society. From 1975 to 2016, within the span of 40 years the prevalence of overweight or obesity among children and adolescents of age group 5–19 years has increased more than four-fold from 4% to 18% globally. Obesity and Underweight are the two sides of the coin called malnutrition! And the demon of obesity outnumbering the burden of underweight population globally except in some low economic status countries. Slowly but steadily middle income countries, developing ones have taken over the lion’s share of the disease burden. Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, Angina and cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke, which ultimately lead to disastrous outcomes in most of the cases. 

Obesity never comes alone. It brings another enemy of the healthcare system called Diabetes Mellitus and its associated conditions, including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy all are clearly on rise having the helping hand in the name of obesity. Rates of diabetes have quadrupled since around the world since 1980.Shockingly the proportion of adults being overweight or obese has increased between 1980 and 2013 from about 29 to 37% in men and from about 30 to 38% in women. Estimated that in 2013, more than 2 billion people in the world were overweight or obese and about 671 million of them were obese. Carrying excess weight can lead to musculoskeletal disorders including osteoarthritis as excessive weight brings about the degenerative changes earlier than normal. Obesity is also associated with some cancers, including endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Cholelithiasis, kidney and colon. Increasing BMI leads to proportional increase in fatality rates of all these non communicable diseases. 

The emergency department is where two broken pieces of healthcare meet: obesity and poor access to care. Two recent studies illustrate the results of a phenomenon that weight bias researchers have documented for some time. Overweight and obese people often receive negligence, mocking from some of the health care professionals. As a result, they avoid seeking medical care and frequently switch providers. Numerous comorbid conditions have been associated with obesity, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. As a result of these comorbidities, the medical costs directly related to obesity are difficult to determine, but a conservative estimate would place the healthcare burden for obesity at approximately $150 billion per year in the United States. Such a mammoth amount actually breaks the economic backbone of a developing country.Increase in mortality is not directly due to obesity but due to the associated conditions it brings. Obese patients present challenging and complex issues in medical and surgical intensive care units. In the current debate over healthcare reform in the United States, no proposed solution can reasonably ignore or minimize the role that obesity plays with regard to economic and health consequences.

Actual challenge is in diagnosing and managing these patients in emergency set up. Auscultation is one of the most primary physical examination in which findings are going to be altered in a obese patient. Most of the times in emergency set up doctors miss important auscultatory findings in these patients that causes the diagnostic delay. ABGs play a massive role in management of a patient coming to the emergency department. In this case the radial artery is the one from which blood is drawn. In case of obese patients, it’s a troublesome job to puncture the radial artery correctly . Securing a central venous line or even putting up a peripheral cannula in some patient needs a mammoth effort if he or she is too obese. While diagnosing a condition radiological limitations and adjustments are also of huge concern. Added on to this ETT and Foley catheter placement is quite difficult. Anesthetic dose adjustment is also a major concern in  obese patients and may even lead to disasters if not done properly. Transportation of patients as well as equipments are also a big hazard. Basically every step needs to be placed very carefully in obese patients while managing in emergency set up and a tiny mistake may cost the patients life as well as lead to medico-legal issues. 

Such a huge set back in the form of obesity in emergency and tertiary care units needs to be controlled. The only way to decrease obesity is building up awareness among the common people. Government , health care centres have to take up the responsibility to make them understand how deadly obesity can be. Regular counselling in health care centres advertisements can reduce the burden of obese patients on society. Society should be made aware of the necessity of physical exercise and healthy food. But these all are long term processes . Obesity is a global problem. And it’s the high time for the physicians to come up with some plan that helps them manage the obese patients in emergency set up. Dopplar Ultrasound can be a very good option while managing a obese patient in a emergency care unit. Using the technique we can get access to veins, arteries very easily.

Obesity is a global problem. And it’s the high time for the physicians to come up with some plan that helps them manage the obese patients in emergency set up.

This aids in quick management and avoids multiple pricks to the patient. In spite of using fixed non-movable beds , if we use beds with wheels , it will be a lot easier to take patients to the CT room or MRI room. Placing them on the machine will remain an issue though. Portable x-ray devices are a good advancements in medical science that helps to decrease the need of carrying the patient always. Still there will be some unavoidable circumstances in spite of all these where transportation of the patient is mandatory i.e operation theatre etc. It is the high time for the national and international health agencies to publish proper guidelines to manage obese patients in emergency set up. Proper infrastructure and trained staff in every hospital will ease the cause. It’s a global issue and every possible effort should be made to improve the quality of the medical support we can provide to obese people in emergency set up. With so much advancement and innovations coming up in health care system we can surely hope that this global problem will be solved soon.

Composed by: “Dr. Mahan Shome likes to study about the recent advancements in the field of medicine that might help mankind in future. Writing is his passion. He hails from Howrah, West Bengal.”

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Asking about if obesity is hereditary? Then, genes aren’t the most worrisome risk of obesity. An individual’s upbringing can be, the way the family raises, the daily food intake, importance placed on physical activity and how a person would take their behaviour model, are the bigger influences on likelihood of obesity than genes. Health is not valued till sickness comes, true isn’t? Obesity is not because it runs in the family!! It is because no one runs in the family!!!

In 2018, a study revealed that 170 children and young people have rotten teeth removed every day, undergoing general anaesthesia. That’s an unpleasant operation that is completely avoidable; we have got a lot of evidence to show that the main cause is excessive sugar. There are also links with type 2 diabetes, usually chronic disease seen in adults, but we are seeing more and more under the age of 25 these days.

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Modern India, in spite of technological and industrial progress, is still fighting its battle against “food”, both quantitatively and qualitatively. India is one of the top five countries with respect to adult obesity, childhood obesity,and type-2 diabetes. It is predicted that by 2025, India will rank second in obesity, with the count of obese children over17 million. The irony of the situation is that India ranks first in under nourishment, constituting 40% of the world’s underweight population. Such extremes of poor health conditions are prevalent because of unhealthy food options in one stratum of society, and scarcity of food in another.

Currently wheat and rice constitute the most consumed cereals in India. Wheat cultivation dates back to Indus valley civilization, approximately 5000 years ago. In habitants of the Mohenjo-Daro period used wheat to make bread and porridge.The obsession with wheat was further instigated by the Green Revolution in the 1960s when new higher yielding varieties were introduced to cater to a rapidly growing population.

Further more,there have been reports about the origin of rice in India about 35 million years back. In India, rice is mostly consumed in the Southern region and the Northeast,where as Northern-central part is the bread basket of the country. Both these staple cereals are consumed as refined flour and polished rice;and because of their smooth appearance and taste fullness, our traditional grains like Bajra (pearl millet), Jowar(sorghum), Ragi (fingermillet) and Rajgira (amaranth)have taken a back seat. In fact, Dr.M. S. Swaminathan, Father of Green Revolution, himself called millets “orphan crops” as they used to constitute 40% of all the cultivated grains before the Green Revolution, which dropped to about half immediately after 1965.

The post Can Millets Be the Answer to India’s Nutritional Problems? appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Researchers measured insulin and C-peptide levels of 87 diabetics(67 men and 20 women). Actually, beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin also release the C-peptide-a polypeptide composing of 31 amino acids. Although C-peptide does not actually affect the blood sugar of a person, the doctors can measure its level to figure out how much insulin the person’s body is making.

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