Obesity Increases The Risk Of Several Non-Communicable Diseases; Know Prevention Tips

Obesity is one of the most neglected public health issues that is increasingly recognized as a global epidemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 2.5 billion adults were classified as overweight in 2022. Of these, 890 million were living with obesity. Obesity is a complex condition which can increase the risk of serious health conditions including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, musculoskeletal disorders and even reproduction. Obesity also affects one's quality of life.

Obesity- A common risk factor for many non-communicable diseases

Obesity is the mother of many non-communicable diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer, said experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Tuesday.

Joining together to raise awareness about the adverse health impacts of obesity, the experts noted that obesity is fully preventable in adults. It may also ease the health burden of the country.

"Obesity is the mother of many non-communicable diseases, and that is why it has to be taken seriously," Dr. Naval Kishore Vikram, Professor of Medicine at AIIMS, told IANS.

Obesity poses significant health risks and can lead to a variety of serious medical conditions.

Obesity can trigger insulin resistance, where the body becomes less effective at utilizing insulin. This condition can ultimately lead to the onset of type-2 diabetes.

Obesity is also associated with increased inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is associated with various health issues, including hypertension (high blood pressure), which can increase the risk of heart disease.

It can also affect your bones, mental health and overall quality of life.

Additionally, the long-term effects of obesity can extend to an increased risk of certain cancers.

How to prevent obesity

"Obesity is 100 per cent preventable disease in adults. Although there are some genetic causes of it, but that is very rare and is seen only in children," said Dr Vikram.

The experts noted that the best way to tackle obesity is by changing the sedentary lifestyle and eating right.

"The cause of obesity lies somewhere in our lifestyle and our eating habits," Dr. M. Gahlot, Sr. Dietician at AIIMS told IANS.

She said that people are eating less of the healthy things, but high processed food, sugary food items.

"It is important to include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. You also must control the total amount of fat in your diet," Dr. Gahlot said.

"Check your diet. Eat, mindfully, eat healthy and be active. Because activity is very important. People are not usually very active. And a lot of people have a sedentary lifestyle," advised Dr. Vikram.

The experts suggested indulging in any form of exercise like running, cycling, or jogging.

(With inputs from IANS)

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