Facts About Obesity
Obesity is one of the major concerns most people tend to face. It means the accumulation of excessive body fat in certain parts of one’s body. Almost everyone subconsciously tries to avoid excessive weight gain because of the torment of having to go on a diet. Various facts, rumours and myths have been spread all around the universe on this topic of Obesity. However, what is the real truth?
Fact 1: Obesity does not necessarily mean being physically massive.
While almost everyone who is obese is massive, not everyone massive is obese. The body mass index does not provide a reasonable estimate of one’s body fat, so, obesity does not equate to massiveness.
This is why a weight lifter can have a very large body mass and is still not obese.
Fact 2: Obesity is not always a result of over-eating.
Obesity is not caused by the accumulation of too much food in one’s body because these foods are not absorbed whole by the body in the first place. Therefore, a person who eats too much only stands a chance of having constipation or diarrhoea as a direct result. The force of obesity only creeps in when the level of caloric intake by such a person exceeds the level of calorie expulsion in that such a person does not exercise or do any physical activity that will cause calories to burn off.
Fact 3: Treatment of obesity does not have to be tough.
There is always the preconceived notion that to lose weight, a person must shed tears and blood. But, the good news is that to get rid of excessive fat, one does not have to suffer for long! Healthy habits only have to be observed at a level of maximum discipline. These healthy habits include eating foods which have an appropriate amount of calories, engaging in routine physical activities and having a good sleep regimen. Observing these habits to the maximum helps to create a balance between calorie consumption and caloric burn-off.
Fact 4: Obesity does not only occur in children.
In some parts of Nigeria, some people believe that obesity only happens in children because they have “baby fat” and they eat junk. However, this has been proven to be false because obesity can last a lifetime if not treated well. Adults whose body mass index is above 30 are always at a risk of being obese and accompanying it are diseases like type-2 diabetes and heart problems.
Obesity in adults could be cured by cultivating healthy eating habits and exercising regularly.
Oluwagbemisola Akinjobi
