Unlike a century back, now the primary cause of ill health and untimely death are various non-infectious chronic ailments. Studies show that obesity is one of the most important contributors to the rise of various non-infectious diseases.
Here it is also worth understanding that obesity is even worse for Asians when compared to Europeans. Asians have poorly developed subcutaneous fat tissues and tend to accumulate fat mostly on the tummy (central obesity). They are also more likely to accumulate fat around visceral organs. It means that Asians are more likely to develop lipotoxicity.
All this means that even mild obesity is dangerous for health. It causes an increase in cholesterol, triglycerides, loss of vascular elasticity, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and diabetes. It is among the leading causes of ischemic heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. It may also cause peripheral vascular disease.
Obesity also causes considerable disability, as it increases the risk of osteoarthritis. In addition, it considerably reduces the quality of life as obese people find it challenging to move around, travel, and enjoy life. Obesity may also cause a decline in libido and affect one’s ability to conceive.
One way of understanding obesity is by calculating the BMI. BMI = Weight in kg ÷ (height x height [in meters]). Thus, a person with a BMI of 25 or above is overweight, and above 30 is obese. However, in recent years, doctors have revised guidelines for Asians, which means that Asians are considered overweight if their BMI is 23 or above and obese if their BMI is 27.5.
One can readily calculate BMI using various online calculators. In addition, most wearable devices and their apps also show BMI these days. However, it is worth understanding that BMI is not a perfect indicator of obesity.
As already mentioned, Asians are more likely to develop central obesity, that is, fat accumulation on the tummy and visceral organs. Thus, only doctors can really say how severe is obesity. Therefore, doctors will take other measures, calculate the hip waist ratio, and would also carry out blood tests to understand the health status.
For example, someone may be only moderately overweight but have a large tummy, high cholesterol, blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other health issues. It means that quite often, even mild obesity or overweight individuals may benefit from a weight loss program and treatment of their underlying comorbidities.
Additionally, doctors may try to identify some uncommon causes of obesity, like a poor functioning thyroid gland. Moreover, experienced doctors are also better at analyzing the dietary habits of individuals.
