Browsing: obesity

According to WHO, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5-19 has risen dramatically from just 4% in 1975 to just over 18% in 2016. Although excess fat is formed throughout the body, it is most noticeable in the abdomen – largely through the work of hormones responsible for storing excess carbohydrate energy.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1 in 3 adults (30.7%) are overweight. More than 2 in 5 adults (42.4%) have obesity. About 1 in 11 adults (9.2%) have severe obesity. However, obesity is not only an aesthetic problem but also a health risk.

The reason why it is difficult to give up sweets lies in psychology. Ultimately, sugar is not only a source of fast energy, but it also activates the areas of the brain responsible for pleasure and the production of dopamine – which, ultimately, forms an addiction.

Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder associated with a decrease in the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Despite the fact that a typical symptom of the disease is a sharp weight gain in the abdomen, in some cases, insulin resistance occurs in thin people.

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases associated with disorders in the metabolism of glucose and insulin in the body. It occurs when the body loses the ability to properly use the hormone insulin, producing insufficient amounts or becoming insensitive to its action.

The main reason for gaining excess weight in both men and women is bad nutrition combined with a sedentary lifestyle. Hormone levels also play a role – for example, high cortisol increases cravings for fast carbohydrates, while accelerating the accumulation of fat in the abdomen.

Trans fats are substances that occur in vegetable oils when they are reheated to high temperatures. Most countries in the world regulate the content of trans fats in finished foods – they should be no more than 2% of the total amount of fat in the products.

Visceral fat is the most dangerous type of fat for health. It is not only deposited on the internal organs and squeezes the stomach forward, but also disrupts metabolism – in particular, it affects the hormonal level and is also the cause of chronic hunger.