Obesity: India going the American way?

Unlike earlier, obesity is setting in people in their late 20s to mid thirties, posing a direct and definite risk on cardiac health.

We are seeing more and more health disorders arising from changing lifestyle. National Family Health Survey has revealed that 12 percent male and 16 percent female population in India are obese.  Morbid obesity is seen in 5 percent of Indians and the worrying factor is increasing incidence of obesity among adolescents and young adults who form almost half of Indian population.

Research has shown that as one grows obese, the risks for the following conditions also increases:

Metabolic Syndrome: This is a complex risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  Metabolic syndrome consists of six major components viz., abdominal obesity, elevated blood cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance with or without glucose tolerance, elevation of certain blood components that indicate inflammation and elevation of certain clotting factors in blood.

Heart disease: Obesity causes changes in the structure and function of the heart. This may happen even if you do not have other problems that affect the heart, such as high blood pressure or atherosclerosis.  The more you weigh, the more blood you have flowing through your body. The increased amount of blood means your heart has to work harder to pump more blood with each beat. It stretches and expands. The extra work makes the heart muscle thicker. The thicker the heart muscle gets, the harder it is for it to squeeze and relax. Over time, the heart may not be able to keep up with the load. You may then have heart failure. Obesity by itself puts you at risk for heart disease even without high blood pressure, diabetes, or breathing problems. You can lower your risk of heart disease and other illnesses by staying at a healthy weight.

Hypertension: Obese people often have high blood pressure which makes the heart work harder. The heart muscle gets even thicker because of the increased pressure. High blood pressure may be lowered by losing weight. Lowering your blood pressure and losing weight can also help your heart work better. You may also need to take blood pressure medicine or heart medicine to help.

A plan for losing weight should include eating healthy foods, eating fewer calories, and being more physically active.