Obesity: Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors

Being overweight does not mean you are obese!

There are strict worldwide obese definitions. For instance, WHO defines obesity as anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30. However, this definition can change depending on where you are in the world. 

So, what is the meaning of obesity? Check out below!

Obesity is a condition where a person accumulates a lot of body fat, leading to negative health effects. Obesity meaning is linked to the difference between calories taken in and calories used up. If the calories taken in exceed the calories used, it leads to the accumulation of fat. 

However, not all fat people are obese. Moreover, there is a clear distinction between being "overweight" and "obese." The definitions are given below:

Obesity Meaning

According to the World Health Organisation, if a person has a BMI of over 30, they are considered obese.

Overweight Meaning

Additionally, according to WHO, if a person has a BMI of more than 25 but less than 30, they are considered overweight.

The signs and symptoms of obesity are classified as symptoms for adults, adolescents, children, morbid obesity, rare symptoms, and various complications. Here are the symptoms of obesity in detail:

Adult Symptoms of Obesity

The adult symptoms of obesity are as follows:

• Accumulation of fat around the waist in excessive amounts 
• Back pain
• Depression
• Having trouble sleeping
• Inability to perform usual tasks, which could be accomplished easily before obesity
• Joint pain
• Mild to extreme tiredness
• More than usual sweating
• Negative self-esteem
• Shame
• Shortness of breath
• Skin problems because of moisture between the folds of skin
• Snoring
• Social isolation

Children and Adolescents' Symptoms of Obesity

Symptoms of obesity for children and adolescents are as follows:

• Acanthosis nigricans
• Constipation 
• Delayed puberty in boys
• Deposits of fatty tissue, especially around the breast area
• Early puberty in girls
• Eating disorders
• Gastrointestinal reflux
• Orthopaedic problems such as flat feet or dislocated hips
• Poor self-esteem
• Shortness of breath while performing physical activity
• Sleep apnoea
• The sudden appearance of stretch marks on hips and back

Morbid Symptoms of Obesity

Morbid obesity occurs when a person is 45 kgs above the optimal body weight. It can also be defined regarding BMI as a person having a BMI of 40 or more. The symptoms are:

• Struggle when performing everyday activities
• Distinct difficulty while breathing and performing other bodily functions

Rare Overweight Symptoms

Moreover, some rare genetic conditions cause obesity. The symptoms accompanying them are as follows:

• Pro-Opiomelanocortin (POMC) Deficiency Obesity

Common symptoms of this condition include: 

• Any hormonal problem, for example, adrenal insufficiency
• Early-onset of obesity
• Hyperphagia, also known as extreme hunger, beginning during infancy

• Leptin Receptor (LEPR) Deficiency Obesity

Symptoms of this condition include:

• Hyperphagia 
• Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (low production of sex hormones)

• Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS)

Key symptoms of this syndrome include: 

• Early-onset of obesity
• Hyperphagia
• Vision impairment
• Polydactyly
• Any kidney impairment

Apart from the above symptoms of obesity, obesity itself can give rise to many health complications. These are:

• Asthma
• Chronic high blood pressure that damages the kidneys and leads to kidney disease
• Comorbidities or diseases such as cancer or high blood pressure occurring concurrently with obesity
• Excessive weight causes gastroesophageal reflux, hiatal hernia, and heartburn
• Gallbladder disease 
• Heart disease from the heart trying to pump excessive blood
• High cholesterol levels lead to the deposition of fat around the arteries, which leads to stroke, heart attack and other complications. 
• Osteoarthritis from excessive weight causes an increase in strain on the joints, bones, and muscles
• Shortened lifespan 
• Sleep apnoea
• Some types of cancer 
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes 

Those are the health risks of being overweight.

So far, medical professionals have identified plenty of causes of obesity. 

However, to answer what causes obesity briefly, one can say that a combination of lifestyle, genetic and environmental conditions are at play. 

Here are the major causes of obesity:

1. Genetics

The genetic make-up of a person can play a significant role in fat regulation. For instance, genetics affects the production of certain hormones that help in the fat regulation process. 

For example, leptin is a hormone that regulates fat in the body. It controls weight by informing the brain to eat less when there is extra fat stored. However, for some, the quantity of this hormone is insufficient. It is because of their genetic make-up. 

Therefore, the body loses control of fat regulation and obesity sets in.

2. Physical Inactivity

It is common knowledge that a lack of physical activity is one of the major causes of obesity. Those who live sedentary lives burn fewer calories than those who live active lives with regular exercise. In fact, research shows a strong positive correlation between weight gain in both sexes and no physical activity.

3. Social Issues

Social issues as one of the silent causes of obesity are relatively unacknowledged. People often do not have the money to buy healthy food, nor do they have access to parks to exercise.

4. Complications From Other Diseases

Obesity is known to be a common complication of certain conditions such as:

• Cushing's syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
• Insulin resistance
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Prader-Willi syndrome

5. Medications

Taking certain medicines can lead to obesity. Some common categories of these medications are:

• Antidepressants
• Anticonvulsants
• Diabetic medications
• Oral contraceptives
• High blood pressure medicines
• Antihistamines

Side effects of taking these medications may result in obesity.

6. Psychological Factors

Emotions affect eating habits. People may eat because of excessive negative emotions, such as stress, anger, depression, sadness, or low self-esteem. However, there is no correlation between the two, and it is wholly an individual choice. However, around 30% of the people suffering from obesity are known to binge eat.

7. Diet High in Carbs

The wrong food choice is one of the reasons for obesity. For instance, simple sugars are more easily absorbed by the bloodstream, causing a quick insulin release. This insulin spike converts simple sugars into fat. Therefore, scientists believe that this fast conversion causes fat accumulation to occur rapidly. Therefore, foods rich in simple sugars such as desserts, soft drinks, wine and beer should be avoided to prevent obesity.

8. Lack of Sleep

Sleep deprivation is another silent cause of obesity. Sleep deprivation significantly increases the risk of obesity in children and adults. Lack of sleep leads to hormonal changes, which increases appetite. For instance, ghrelin, a hormone that causes an increase in appetite, is released when a person does not sleep. Moreover, a lack of sleep can lead to a decrease in leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite.

There are three ways to measure obesity. They are:

Body Mass Index (BMI)

In BMI, the weight of a person in kg is divided by the square of the height in m. Therefore, the unit for BMI is kg/m2. 

BMI=Weight of a person in kgHeight in m2

Once you get the BMI value, it is matched against the chart to gauge the classification whether overweight, underweight, normal, or obese.

Waist Circumference Risk Threshold

Obesity does not depend on body fat alone, but also the location of the body fat. For example, fat on the abdomen is a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, etc. That is why the measure of waist size is also considered when measuring obesity. 

In Asians, a waist size of more than 90cm in males is considered obese, while for women, the cutoff waist size is 80cm.

Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS)

The EOSS is a better way to assess obesity than BMI or waist circumferential risk threshold. It is a 5-stage system that measures the psychological, physical and metabolic parameters of a patient to determine the treatment for obesity. The stages are as follows: 

Stage 0: No apparent risk factors

Stage 1: Having preclinical risk factors

Stage 2: Comorbidity has been established

Stage 3: End organ damage

Stage 4: End stage

There is no quick cure for obesity. However, while surgery and medication are prescribed as a last resort, it does yield results.

Furthermore, exercise and diet are some of the natural remedies for obesity.

So, how to get rid of obesity naturally? Find out below!

Lifestyle and Behavioural Changes

Some of the suggestions for changes in lifestyle and behaviour that can help to get rid of obesity are:

• Ask professional healthcare servers to curate a diet plan for you. 
• Further, participate in 300 minutes of weekly exercise to build strength and metabolism
• Identify situations that lead to binge eating and come up with strategies to handle those situations. 
• Moreover, monitor your weight weekly or monthly. 

Lifestyle and diet changes are the preferred treatment plan for obese children. Surgery or medication is viewed as the last resort.

Medications

Doctors may prescribe certain pills for weight loss to supplement the diet and exercise. These pills, however, are prescribed only if other weight loss methods have not worked. Some of the examples of pills that may be prescribed are:

• Liraglutide (Saxenda)
• Naltrexone or bupropion (Contrave)
• Orlistat (Alli, Xenical)
• Phentermine or topiramate (Qsymia)

However, these drugs may have side effects. Hence, a doctor will monitor the patient's condition carefully if they prescribe this course of action.

Surgery

Another name for weight loss surgery is bariatric surgery. This surgery works in one of the three ways:

1. Limits how much food you can eat without discomfort
2. Prevents your body from absorbing food or calories
3. The surgery does both of the above. 

To reduce the risk of comorbidities, there are four major types of bariatric surgery. They are:

Biliopancreatic Diversion With Duodenal Switch

This type of surgery removes most parts of your stomach, around 80%. Furthermore, the second part of the surgery involves shortening the length of the small intestine by connecting it between the gallbladder and the end of the small intestine.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

In gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon will create a small pouch at the top of the stomach. Then they will connect the pouch to the small intestine bypassing the stomach. Hence, food and liquid go from the pouch to the small intestine instead of through the stomach.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

This surgery removes part of the stomach.

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB)

This surgery separates the stomach into two separate pouches with a band. The small pouch that is created helps you to feel full after eating less.

Once again, a combination of genetics and health and lifestyle choices puts a person at higher risk for obesity. Some of the common risk factors in obesity are:

Family History and Genetics

Genes affect fat regulation and fat deposition. Further, they also control how your body converts food into energy, regulates appetite and burns calories. Moreover, those with a family history of obesity tend to succumb to the condition themselves.

Poor Lifestyle Choices

Those who have an unhealthy diet with low quantities of fruits and vegetables, consume sugar-rich drinks and have a sedentary lifestyle are at a greater risk for obesity.

Medication Or Diseases

As mentioned above, certain diseases or medications can cause weight complications. For instance, those with type 2 diabetes or Cushing's syndrome are at risk for obesity.

Social and Economic Factors

Those with overweight friends and families tend to have obesity, meaning that eating will be one of the same interests they share. Moreover, a lack of parks for exercise or access to healthy food is another social and economic risk factor of obesity.

Here are some ways:

1. Add protein to your diet. The body burns calories trying to digest proteins. That means the body burns up fat to convert proteins to amino acids. Moreover, a diet rich in protein can help you feel fuller for longer. In addition, high protein diets help to reduce carbohydrate intake. 
2. Avoid eating processed foods like cold drinks, juices, biscuits, sauces, etc. Further, processed foods come with high simple sugars. The blood readily absorbs these sugars in the small intestine and thereby spikes insulin. Processed foods also have ingredients that make you eat more. Hence, avoid these.  
3. Avoid liquid calories. Moreover, people substitute something as harmless as water for processed juices, drinks, wines, beers, etc. These drinks, high in sugar, are known as "liquid calories."
4. Include a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet. These foods are high in fibre, water and minerals, making them nourishing to your body. They also have a low energy density, so you can eat several servings without adding on calories. 
5. Get enough sleep. Being sleep deprived is a big cause of obesity as the body releases hormones that make you feel hungry due to poor regulation of appetite hormones. 

In conclusion, remember that you are not alone in your battle against obesity! Anyone can get obesity under control.