Obesity

Definition obesity
Obesity is defined as a condition that is associated with having an excess of body fat. It is
classified as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
Physical obesity
Obesity is a contributing cause of many other health problems, including heart disease,
stroke, diabetes, and some types of cncer. Obesity can cause sleep apnea and breathing
problems and make activity more difficult. Obesity can also cause problems during
pregnancy or make it more difficult for a woman to become pregnant.
Obesity in your discipline
Obesity, even among nurses, is multifactorial:
- Poor Diet: Due to lack of time, processed, fried food and junk food are normal in a fast
diet
- Lack of Physical Activity: Contrary to popular belief, walking long hallways during 8 to
12 hour shifts is not enough physical exercise to meet recommended daily guidelines and
prevent obese nurses. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of
intentional, moderate to vigorous physical activity five or more times per week.
- Sleep Deprivation: Nurses often face shift changes, and a previous night-shift nurse
myself, entire lives are planned around sleep, but still its hard to get the recommended
eight hours of sleep each night/day. When were not fully rested, the body needs more
energy. That means we eat more to gain calories for energy.
Health effects
Excessive body weight is associated with various diseases, particularly cardiovascular
diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer,
osteoarthritis and asthma. As a result, obesity has been found to reduce life expectancy
Assessing obesity
BMI : is a useful measure of overweight and obesity. It is calculated from your height and
weight. BMI is an estimate of body fat and a good gauge of your risk for diseases that can
occur with more body fat. Obesity is generally defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30
kg/m2 and higher.
Waist Circumference: Measuring waist circumference helps screen for possible health risks
that come with overweight and obesity. If most of your fat is around your waist rather than
at your hips, youre at a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Controlling obesity
You can take steps to prevent unhealthy weight gain and related health problems, Here are
the steps to fight obesity:
- Exercise regularly: You need to get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a
week to prevent weight gain. Moderately intense physical activities include fast walking
and swimming.
- Follow a healthy eating plan: Focus on low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits,
vegetables and whole grains
- Reduce The Stress: One of the consequences of the stress response is abdominal fat cell
growth and loss of muscle mass, which leads to insulin resistance and obesity
Conclusions
Many people do not realize how damaging obesity can be to the body and for your overall
health. Obesity is something that is increasingly on the rise today and will continue to rise
unless we do something about it like informing people of how bad it really is and
encouraging people to live a health-enhancing lifestyle. A healthy diet and exercising two
to three times a week is key to not becoming obese.