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Overweight

If you weigh more than you should, relative to your height, you're considered overweight.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated with the help of a height/weight chart. A BMI greater than or equal to 25 is considered overweight, and one greater than or equal to 30 is considered obese.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. (In 2008, 1.4 billion adults were overweight, and 200 million men and 300 million women were obese.)

The biggest problem with fat accumulation is that it may impair health. There are many health problems you can develop when you're overweight or obese. These include heart disease, stroke, cholesterol problems, cancer, type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, sleep apnoea, erectile dysfunction, osteoarthritis and gynaecological problems.

Overweight people may also be susceptible to depression, sexual problems, social isolation and disability.

Factors that affect overweight

Gender. While there are many overweight men, when it comes to obesity, women outnumber men by 3:2. Especially younger men tend to have the ability to consume more kilojoules than women without gaining weight. It is also estimated that one in 20 women have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal imbalance with overweight as one of its symptoms.

Age. As you age, you can experience hormonal changes and a lower muscle mass, which in turn leads to a decrease in metabolism. If you carry on eating exactly the same amount of food without increasing your exercise levels, you will start to gain weight in middle age.

Urbanisation. People in urban settings tend to be less physically active and lead more sedentary lifestyles as a result of the nature of their work, the availability of public transport, time spent commuting, and the ready availability of high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt processed and fast foods.

Family genetics. A low rate of metabolism can be inherited, as can a tendency towards certain metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Families also eat together, and children learn their eating habits from their parents, which could exacerbate a familial tendency to overweight or obesity.

Causes of overweight
The growing disease burden of a worldwide obesity epidemic has made the issue of overweight a crucial concern.

Broken down into its simplest cause, people become overweight when their food intake is consistently larger than their energy expenditure. There are, however, several other causes and contributing factors.

Inactivity. The more active you are, the more kilojoules you burn. If you sit all day at the office, take a taxi home and spend all night in front of the TV, your energy expenditure is very low. If you do no exercise, you will not have to eat vast quantities of food before your waistline starts expanding.

Inactivity could also be the result of socio-economic factors, such as not having safe places to exercise in an urban environment, or the unavailability or cost of healthy foods in a particular area.

High kilojoule intake. A diet that is high in fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates (like many fast foods) is likely to lead to weight gain. Healthier foods can also sometimes be seen as costly, and their preparation time-consuming.

In some societies, traditional cooking methods and foodstuffs contribute to weight gain. A diet high in kilojoules can be low in nutrients – overweight people are not necessarily well-fed. In some areas fresh produce can be hard to come by. Fast food portions are also often oversized, encouraging over-consumption.

Medication side effects. One of the side effects of some medications is weight gain. These can include certain antidepressants, diabetes medications, some antipsychotic medications, corticosteroids, beta-blockers and anti-seizure medications.

Quitting smoking. Many people who quit smoking gain weight, but experts agree that giving up smoking is of greater benefit to your health, regardless of the short-term weight gain.

Certain medical conditions. There are conditions that lead to weight gain, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, and an underactive thyroid. In addition, such diseases as arthritis can make exercise painful.

Pregnancy. Weight gain during pregnancy is a common phenomenon. Many women struggle to lose the extra weight after the birth of their baby.

Sleep problems. A lack of sleep can cause changes in hormone levels, which can lead to an increase in appetite. When you are tired, your body also tends to crave high-kilojoule foods, which can lead to weight gain.

Psychological factors. Some people tend to overeat to curb anxiety and depression, or to combat boredom or anger. This can lead to overweight.

Tests
Several tests can be done to show whether you are overweight or not. The most common is the standard BMI test, where your weight and height are measured and you are given a score from a height/weight chart. Then there are several ways of testing your percentage of body fat - from callipers to a Bioelectrical Impedance Machine.

Treatment
Many books have been written on the topic of overweight. Everyone is on the lookout for a miracle cure, but unless you have an untreated medical condition of some kind, the only way to lose weight is to expend more energy than you consume over a period of time. Your doctor will try and determine whether there are underlying medical causes for your overweight.

A dietician or biokineticist can give advice on dietary changes and an exercise regime.

Before taking any “miracle” diet pills, consult your doctor. Some of these can have an adverse effect on your health, especially if you have a condition such as high blood pressure.

The World Health Organization recommends that children should exercise for an hour per day, and adults for 150 minutes per week. They also recommend limiting fat and sugar intake, and increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.

Societies are more likely to succeed in combating the problem of overweight if there is co-operation from legislators, food manufacturers, employers and advertisers, and if there are more available exercise opportunities.

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