Diseases will be the topic of discussion at the Health and Wellness Summit, which will take place on October 13 and 14
More than half of the world’s adult population will be overweight and obesity If we do not act by 2035, warns the World Obesity Federation (WOF), a non-profit organization that seeks to strengthen global efforts to reduce, prevent and treat this disease.
The concern is not unfounded—after all, obesity is associated with a greater risk of adverse health outcomes, including several types of Cancerand reduction in life expectancy.
On this National Obesity Prevention Day, 6 essential themes for understanding the disease, which will also be the subject of debate in Health and Wellness Summit – The Future of Health is Herepromoted by Estadao on October 13th and 14th.
1 – More than half of adults in the world will live with overweight and obesity by 2035 (if nothing changes)
Experts believe that the world is facing an epidemic of overweight and obesity. “No area of the world is immune from the consequences of obesity and the poorest are those who suffer the most, at increasingly younger ages,” says the WOF, in World Atlas of Obesity 2024.
This was demonstrated by a study conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). More than 1 billion people live with obesity across the planet. In the adult population, obesity rates more than doubled among women and nearly tripled among men between 1990 and 2022.
According to the 2021 surveillance survey of risk and protective factors of chronic diseases carried out by telephone survey (Vigitel), the prevalence of excess weight (overweight) in the Brazilian population is 57.2% and obesity is by 22.4%.
Based on data trends from 2000 to 2016, and assuming no changes in interventions, WOF estimates that the rate of overweight and obese adults will increase from 42% in 2020 to 54% in 2035. Nearly 8 in 10 (79%) will live in low- and middle-income countries.
2 – Obesity is not “lack of willpower”, it is a disease
In recent years, health communication has strengthened the idea among the population that obesity is a chronic, progressive and multifactorial disease. In other words, it is a condition that does not necessarily have a cure (but can and should be treated, which guarantees the patient’s quality of life), which progresses over time, which means that treatment must start early to avoid progression of symptoms and complications and can have multiple causes that interact with each other.
Geloneze also highlights that obesity has neurochemical aspects. “The regulatory centers of hunger, satiety and energy expenditure in the brain, more precisely in the hypothalamus, are altered. This has nothing to do with the person’s will. It is not a lack of character or inattention.”
Desire emphasizes that it’s not just about behavioral factors, like eating less. “Obesity involves environmental, psychological, emotional and, above all, genetic and physiological factors. The body is a dynamic machine. It regulates and counter-regulates at all times, also try to avoid the weight loss process.”
Stigma, which shifts blame and responsibility to the patient, as well as being incorrect and unjust, according to experts, harms research and the success of treatment.
3 – To diagnose, perhaps BMI is not enough
Traditionally, the diagnosis of overweight and obesity is made by calculating the body mass index (BMI), the ratio of weight to height. The formula is: BMI = weight (kg)/height² (m²). For adults, the limit values are:
- overweight: BMI greater than or equal to 25
- obesity – BMI greater than or equal to 30
In children and adolescents, age must be considered.
Although BMI is low-cost and therefore an accessible patient screening measure, experts increasingly realize that it may not be sufficient given the complexity of a disease such as obesity.
Node new consensus on obesity of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (Easo), BMI is no longer considered in isolation in the diagnosis and staging of the disease in European adults and begins to share the spotlight on aspects such as abdominal circumference and the functional and psychological impact of obesity. weight.
There is no expectation that the European consensus will generate any immediate changes in the way Brazilian professionals diagnose and treat obesity. There is, however, hope that it will inspire future behavior and, above all, that it will help strengthen the movement already embraced by Brazilian experts to minimize the importance of BMI and identify therapeutic targets for the disease.
Desire highlights that looking only at the relationship between height and body weight can leave out equally or more important aspects, such as where the fat is located and the amount of muscle mass.
“The circumferences of the abdomen, hips and neck indicate whether the fat is more centripetal, in the center of the body, more visceral, which is the big deal,” explains Geloneze.
“Sometimes, people who are ‘normal’ weight and visually non-fat have much worse health than obese but metabolically healthy people,” comments Desire. This is a new category: metabolically obese with normal weight (read more here).
A review published in Endocrine Reviews points out that up to 30% of people with obesity do not have obvious metabolic abnormalities, such as high cholesterol or blood sugar. This is what doctors call metabolically healthy obesity.
“Metabolically healthy obesity does not mean that it is healthy. This is the big confusion, because the person may have psychological problems, orthopedic problems or even the risk of developing some cardiovascular problems in the long term, even without metabolic changes. This situation is metabolically healthy , that is, with normal tests, tends to be transitory, aging itself causes it to cease”, underlines Geloneze.
4 – Obesity is a risk factor for numerous diseases
According to the WHO, obesity has a profound impact on the quality of life of patients. “It can lead to an increased risk of diabetes type 2 and heart disease, can compromise bone health and reproduction, increase the risk of some types of cancer,” he warns.
It also helps explain the stagnation global progress against cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) in the world AND it can be a risk factor for hundreds of diseases, according to the WHO and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, in the United States. Among these are:
- Exacerbation of migraine cases
- Glaucoma
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Arrhythmia (mainly atrial fibrillation)
- Hypertension
- Heart failure
- Heart attack
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Hepatic steatosis
- Urinary incontinence
- Risk of unsuccessful pregnancy outcome (greater possibility of miscarriage and malformations in the baby)
- Venous thrombosis
- Mental health problems
- Osteoarthritis
- Tumors: meningioma; thyroid; esophagus; breast; multiple myeloma; liver; kidney; gallbladder; upper stomach; endometrium; pancreas; colon and rectum; and ovary
5 – Severe obesity in children can reduce life expectancy to 39 years
According to the WHO, in 2022, more than 390 million children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 were overweight. “Obese children are very likely to become obese adults and are also at greater risk of developing chronic diseases as they age,” the entity warns.
Children with severe obesity by age 4 who do not control the condition may have a life expectancy of only 39 yearsaccording to research presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity.
6 – We live in a new era when it comes to medications
In recent years, drugs to treat obesity have taken a surprising turn. The revolution began with the arrival of GLP-1 receptor agonists – one of the hormones released to help the brain understand that we have eaten enough -, in particular of a molecule called semaglutide, the active ingredient of a medicine that has become quite famous, The Ozempico (which is actually indicated for people with type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy (version for patients with obesity), both from the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.
Geloneze recalls that the first anti-obesity drugs were derived from amphetamines, catecholaminergics, which had the side effect of increasing cardiovascular risk and psychiatric problems. “They could not be used long-term, because they could promote drug addiction, which is exactly the opposite of what someone with a chronic illness needs.”
The situation has changed with the new generation of drugs. In addition to safety, there are cardiovascular benefits and kidneys, comments Geloneze. Remember, however, that new drugs obviously also have side effects, such as nausea, and that they are still very expensive.
Desire highlights that there are still questions to be answered, such as loss of lean body mass in patients using these drugs. “There is a study that shows that almost 40% of the weight lost is lean mass. How can we minimize it? The focus cannot be just this absurd weight loss, but thinking about the quality of what you are losing. It is the difference between losing weight and losing weight.”
Experts agree that medications are not a silver bullet. Treatment of obesity requires a multidisciplinary effort, including mental health and physical education professionals, and lifestyle changes, such as healthy eating and increased exercise, which will be important for continued treatment.
The “Health and Wellbeing Summit – Is the Future of Health Here Yet?” will be held on October 13 and 14, from 8:00 to 18:30, at the JK Iguatemi Shopping Event Space, in Sao Paulo. To register, go to this link.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
