Obesity is defined as the excessive, evenly distributed fat accumulation throughout the body. It is important to emphasize that obesity is a disease. In particular, it is classified as a Chronic and Metabolic Disease and it has been considered one of the most morbid conditions of the 21st century, due to the rapid rates at which it is spreading around the world.
According to the World Health Organization, the incidence of obesity has risen rapidly since 1980, and by 2014, obesity was found to affect more than 600 million adults.
Obesity in numbers
By 2014, more than 600 million people over the age of 18 were obese. In the USA, 1 in 3 people suffers from obesity, while in Europe, the mortality rate due to it is more than 13% per year. In Europe, 59% of the human population is overweight and 18% suffers from obesity. Childhood obesity, in addition, has spread rapidly. More than 41 million children under the age of 5 were obese in 2014.
Obesity and other diseases
The harmful effects of obesity have been known since ancient times. According to a well-known popular saying, “fat shortens life”, while something similar was mentioned by Hippocrates, emphasizing that “fat people die quickly”. Numerous epidemiological and other scientific works, which have been carried out in the last 35 years, confirm all the above-mentioned claims.
One of the first effects that can occur in our body, as a result of obesity, is Type 2 Diabetes. 64% of cases of Diabetes mellitus in the male population and 77% in women are due solely to excess body fat. The majority of patients with Type 2 Diabetes are overweight or obese.
Excess body fat is responsible for the body’s resistance to insulin function, while the pro-inflammatory and pre-thrombotic condition are issues related to the excessive accumulation of fat in our body.
In 1947, French physician Jean Vague linked obesity to metabolic syndrome. It is a combination of health problems including Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides and cholesterol levels in our blood, hyperinsulinemia, decreased tissue response to insulin and dyslipidemia. All of the above are among the main risk factors for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
Modern Medical non-invasive treatment of Obesity
The human body has evolved over millions of years and its proper function is based on the observance of certain standards. These are related to temperature limits, oxygen and water intake, type and amount of food. When there is a differentiation of some of the above specifications, then certain deviations may occur in our body.
Harmful eating habits, which include foods deficient in micro- and macronutrients and in general the unhealthy environment in which we live, have acted as a catalyst in human physiology and have contributed to the deterioration of the biochemical balance of cells.
It is no coincidence that until 40 years ago, only the rich were prosperous, while today this is not the case. In contrast, obesity mostly affects the economically weaker social groups.
So instead of our methods aiming to restore the standards that have been set in order to ensure our survival, we further burden our body with scientifically obsolete dietary methods. These are the so-called “ten day” diets, which, however, can not cope with this morbid condition of obesity.
Obesity is considered a disease and needs a modern medical approach. Specialized diagnostic tests such as the Metabolic profile, investigate metabolic pathways and detect at the cellular level the underlying causes that led to obesity.
With these methods, we are able to individually manipulate the ability of each body to burn and metabolize fat. Based on the diagnostic findings and the overall state of health of the patient, treatment protocols are developed, which are individualized according to the case.
In this way, patients are gradually freed from the burden of obesity. Furthermore, through the treatment of obesity, it is possible to prevent or even stop the progression of chronic diseases, which may lead to a reduction in life expectancy.
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References:
- Mozaffarian, D., R. Micha, and S. Wallace, Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS Med, 2010. 7(3): p. e1000252.
- Mensink, R.P., et al., Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr, 2003. 77(5): p. 1146-55.
- Appel, L.J., et al., Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. JAMA, 2005. 294(19): p. 2455-64.
- Siri-Tarino, P.W., et al., Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr, 2010. 91(3): p. 535-46.
- Wikipedia. org, paxysarkia.
- Zimmermann R, Strauss JG, Haemmerle G, Schoiswohl G, BirnerGruenberger R, Riederer M, Lass A, Neuberger G, Eisenhaber F, Hermetter A, et al.. Fat mobilization in adipose tissue is promoted by adipose triglyceride lipase, Science 2004; 306:1383-6.
- Haemmerle G, Zimmermann R, Hayn M, Theussl C, Waeg G, Wagner E, Magin TM, Wagner EF, Zechner R. Hormone-sensitive lipase deficiency in mice causes diglyceride accumulation in adipose tissue, muscle, and testis, J Biol Chem 2002; 277:4806-15.
- “Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat”. McKinley Health Center. University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
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