Obesity: A Preventable Disease

Obesity is a common and preventable disease of clinical and public health importance. It is often a major risk factor for the development of several non-communicable diseases, significant disability and premature death. There is presently a global epidemic of obesity in all age groups and in both developed and developing countries. The increasing prevalence of obesity places a large burden on health care use and costs. Weight loss is associated with significant health and economic benefits. Effective weight loss strategies include dietary therapy, physical activity and lifestyle modification. Drug therapy is reserved for obese or overweight patients who have concomitant obesity-related risk factors or diseases. Population-wide prevention programmes have a greater potential of stemming the obesity epidemic and being more cost-effective than clinic-based weight-loss programmes.

Obesity is a common but often underestimated condition of clinical and public health importance in many countries around the world. Its general acceptance by many societies as a sign of well-being or a symbol of high social status, and the denial by health care professionals and the public alike that it is a disease in its own right, have contributed to its improper identification and management and the lack of effective public health strategies to combat its rise to epidemic proportions.

Obesity is defined as a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in adipose tissue, to the extent that health is impaired. The amount of excess fat in absolute terms, and its distribution in the body-either around the waist and trunk (abdominal, central or android obesity) or peripherally around the body (gynoid obesity)-have important health implications.

In general, obesity is associated with a greater risk of disability or premature death due to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as hypertension, stroke and coronary heart disease as well as gall bladder disease, certain cancers (endometrial, breast, prostate, colon) and non-fatal conditions including gout, respiratory conditions, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, osteoarthritis and infertility. Obesity also carries serious implications for psychosocial health, mainly due to societal prejudice against fatness.

A central distribution of body fat is associated with a higher risk of morbidity and mortality than a more peripheral distribution. Furthermore, individuals with CVD risk factors such as T2DM, hypertension and smoking are exposed to significant health risks at lower levels of obesity. It is therefore imperative to assess individuals who are overweight or obese not only to determine the extent of adiposity, but also for the body fat distribution and the presence of co-morbid factors.

The body mass index (BMI) is a simple and commonly used parameter for classifying various degrees of adiposity. It is derived from the weight of the individual in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres (kg/m²). By the current World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria, a BMI <18.5kg/m² is considered underweight, 18.5-24.9 kg/m² ideal weight and 25-29.9kg/m² overweight or pre-obese. The obese category is sub-divided into obese class I (30-34.9kg/m²), obese class II (35-39.9kg/m²) and obese class III (≥40kg/m²). A BMI greater than 28kg/m² in adults is associated with a three to four-fold greater risk of morbidity due to T2DM and CVDs than in the general population.

Measurement of the waist circumference-measured at the midpoint between the lower border of the rib cage and the iliac crest or the waist:hip ratio (WHR) provide useful indices of abdominal fat accumulation and a better correlation with an increased risk of ill health and mortality than BMI alone. An abdominal girth in excess of 108 cm (40 inches) for men and 98 cm (35 inches) for women or a WHR >1.0 and 0.85 in men and women, respectively, are the currently accepted indicators of excessive abdominal fat accumulation which correlate with a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications.

Endocrinology and Metabolism: Open Access is a peer reviewed journal which focuses on the publication of current research and developments on the endocrine glands and its secretions with their coordination with metabolism and reproduction.

Endocrinology and Metabolism: Open Access Journal is using Editorial Tracking System to maintain quality and transparency to the author in the peer-review process. Review processing will be performed by the editorial board members of the Journal Endocrinology and Metabolism: Open Access or by Reviewers (outside experts in the field). Two independent reviewer’s approval (Minimum reviewer’s approval) followed by editor approval is obligatory for acceptance of any manuscript excluding an editorial.

Journal is now accepting manuscripts for volume 5 for year 2021. We publish minimum of 5 and maximum of 20 articles per issue every month. Submissions to our journal are given high priority during the process.

Submit your manuscript at:

https://www.imedpub.com/submissions/endocrinology-metabolism-open-access.html 

You may also send the manuscript as an attachment to mail endometabol@emedscholar.com

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Eliza Grace
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Endocrinology and Metabolism: Open Access
E-Mail: endometabol@emedscholar.com