Obesity is a medical condition where there is excessive accumulation of body fat. Obesity is generally assessed using body mass index, or BMI. A person with a BMI ranging between 25 to 29.99 is categorised as overweight. Someone with a BMI greater than 30 is obese.

Nowadays, there is a fair bit of awareness of harmful effects related to obesity, and this is one reason everyone wants to lose weight. Life often becomes a little bit easier and better when a healthy weight is maintained.  A person is more functional and mobile. Another reason why people want to lose weight is to meet society’s standard of ‘looking good’ or for cosmetic reasons.

Obesity occurs when there is an imbalance between calorie intake and utilisation. If the intake of calories is higher than the number of calories utilised through exercise and normal daily activities, the excess calories are stored as fat.

Many people think that they can’t lose weight as obesity is hereditary. This is not true. Heredity is only one of the factors influencing whether one is obese.  Many factors such as lifestyle patterns, genetic, behavioural, metabolic and hormonal factors influence body weight.

Being obese increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, other diseases and health problems; one is more likely to have high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels, which are risk factors for heart disease and strokes. In women, obesity may cause infertility, polycystic ovarian disease and irregular menstrual cycles.  Obesity also increases the stress placed on weight-bearing joints, in addition to promoting inflammation within the body. These factors may lead to complications such as osteoarthritis.

People often get mixed advice on how many times they should eat, what they should eat etc. It is recommended to follow a healthy eating plan, take five small meals at regular intervals and eat a balanced diet avoiding oily/ fatty foods. Ideally, one should take dinner 2 hours before bedtime.

Controlled weight loss can help in keeping diseases at bay.  In case your BMI is high and falls in the category of overweight or obesity, consult your doctor to find out the causes of obesity.  Based on the consultation, you will be advised for a specific diet plan and exercise routine to aid weight loss. It is essential to be consistent with a proper routine that is targeted to assist weight loss. Regular exercise, monitoring of weight regularly, having a balanced diet rich in protein and green leafy vegetables, avoiding oily and fatty food, avoiding stress, getting a good night’s sleep, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle – all of these done consistently will help in weight management.

Should you feel the need to speak to an expert, please reach out to our diet and nutrition experts on the dhani app, who will be able to guide and help you with your queries.

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