Obesity is a disease in which excess fat accumulates in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of the adipose tissue, in the abdomen, chest area and other parts of the body.
According to the 23rd Congress of the American Association of Endocrinologists, it is a chronic disease characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue ("adiposity-based chronic disease (ABCD)").
According to the 2015 definition of the American Association of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, obesity is a chronic, constantly evolving, multifactorial, neuropsychological condition that includes an increase in body fat, impaired adipose tissue function, and the biomechanical effects of fat on adjacent organs result in metabolic and psychosocial effects on human health (American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Updates to the 2014-2015).
Obesity was a sign of satiety, full-fledgedness, and wealth in ancient times, and even in the centuries before Christ, obese people were respected and honored.
How does obesity occur and who can be called obese?
Obesity occurs as a result of the imbalance between the energy capacity of the food consumed and the energy expended by the body, i.e., excess energy accumulates in various parts of the body in the form of fat as a result of overeating with low energy expenditure.
The human body has evolutionarily adapted to accumulate it as a reserve when there is enough food and to consume it when there is not enough food. However, its excessive accumulation and non-consumption leads to disease.
Factors causing obesity:
- low mobility;
- genetic factors, ie increased activity of lipogenesis (fat-forming) enzymes and decreased activity of lipolysis (fat-breaking) enzymes;
- endocrine diseases (hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, insulinoma);
- malnutrition or psychological disorders (psychogenic eating disorders);
- susceptibility to stress;
- dysfunction of the hypothalamus;
- consumption of psychotropic drugs;
- insomnia;
- use of hormonal contraceptives;
- Consumption of insulin and enhancers of insulin synthesis.
The most common of these causes are lack of exercise, poor diet, and genetic factors.
What conditions are assessed as obesity and how is it measured?
There are several levels of obesity today and there are also different ways to diagnose it.
Basically, the "body mass index" is used to determine obesity.
This is equal to the body weight measured in kilograms divided by the square of a person's height. That is, body mass index = body weight (kg) / height m2
Based on this, obesity levels are determined as follows:
Body weight index is normally 18,5-24,9 kg. will be up to
- 25-29,9 kg - is said to be overweight;
- 30-34,9 kg. - The first degree of obesity;
- 35-39,9 kg. - Second degree of obesity and
- Body weight index 40 kg. and if it is higher, it is called tertiary obesity or morbid obesity.
- If the body mass index is less than 18,5 kg, it is considered underweight.
The accumulation of excess fat in the human body occurs mainly in 2 different ways. In men, mainly android-type fat accumulation is observed, i.e., fat is mainly found in the abdominal wall and abdomen (visceral obesity) and this is also called apple-shaped obesity.
In women, fat accumulates mainly in the form of ginoids, i.e. fat in the thigh and pelvic area, and this is called pear-shaped obesity.
Android Ginoid (Apple-shaped) (Pear-shaped)
Magnetic resonance imaging is the most accurate and convenient way to determine the amount of fat in the body.
Usually, the amount of fat in the human body is determined by bioimpidensometry on a simple scale with an analyzer.
