January 9, 2021

What are the types of obesity?  


         Nowadays, it seems that obesity affected most of the countries in this world. It is easier to get a disease when you are obese compared to when you are underweight. You can go and ask a doctor about this statement, and they will definitely agree with it. Obesity is not just a cosmetic issue; it is considered as a chronic disease. This is because it can give rise to a lot of other diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and other chronic illnesses. If it is not treated, it will surely give rise to other complications that can be life-threatening.

         So, how do you measure obesity? It is measured by using a calculation method known as Body Mass Index (BMI). Most of the people might have heard about BMI. Even though they knew about it, not everyone takes it seriously. This index is very crucial in determining whether someone is having a weight issue and what is the intervention needed. The BMI equals a person’s weight in kilogram (kg) divided by their height in meter (m) squared. A person with BMI of 25 until 29.9 is considered as overweight while a BMI that is more than 30 means that the person is obese.

         There are many types of obesity in this world. One of the researchers from the United States even claimed that he managed to identify 59 types of obesity so far. However, a study that was conducted between 2010 and 2012 shows that there are 6 main types of obesity that exist in this world. The study was conducted by the Yorkshire Health Study and 4144 obese persons were involved. They concluded that these six types of obesity existed:

  1.       Heavy drinking males
  2.       Younger healthy females
  3.       Physically sick but happy elderly
  4.       Affluent healthy elderly
  5.       Unhappy anxious middle-aged
  6.       Poorest health

             All of these types of obesity are categorized by depending on the participants age, sex, socioeconomic status, physical activity, alcohol consumption and also health conditions. It is very important to categorize them into groups as it helps a lot in determining what is the intervention needed. For instance, the group of heavy drinking males can benefit a lot by reducing their alcohol intake. However, this is just a blueprint that health provider need to follow when dealing with obese patients. They will still need to follow the usual strategy in order to fight obesity. These include:

  •         Eat a healthy diet. Eating healthy is the main way in treating obesity. Avoid taking fast food and also food that is high in bad cholesterol or sugar level. Follow a diet regime that is suitable with your lifestyle.
  •         Exercise regularly. Apart from diet, a regular exercise can be crucial in fighting obesity. Focus on doing 150 minutes of exercise per week. In other words, that is 30 minutes per day for five days at least.
  •         Manage your stress. Studies have shown that stress can increase the level of hormone cortisol in your body. Cortisol has an effect that can make you crave for food. That, in turn, leads to weight gain. To fight stress, you can choose to take a walk in the park, practice yoga, listen to your favorite music, hang out with your friends or do whatever that you think can release your stress.
  •         Get enough sleep. Do not underestimate the importance of sleep. Researchers have proved that sleeping over time will help to increase weight. It is recommended that adults sleep around 7 hours a day, while children need to sleep for 9.5 hours a day. 


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