Obesity- What It Is, Why It’s a Problem, and How We Can Help Fix It. Medically Supervised Weight Loss Clinic in Longmont and Ft. Collins, Colorado.
Obesity has become one of the most important public health problems worldwide. Obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease referring to an excess of fat, which is affecting a rapidly increasing number of people.
By 2025, the global obesity rate is predicted to reach 18% in men and 21% in women. The US obesity rate increased from 30.5% in 1999-2000 to 41.9% in 2017, according to a study completed in March 2020. During the same time, the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%. Nearly 1 in 3 adults in the US (30.7%) are overweight, more than 1 in 3 men (34.1%) and more than 1 in 4 women (27.5%). More than 2 in 5 adults in the US (42.4%) are obese, 1 in 11 adults (9.2%) are severely obese. Roughly two out of 3 adults in the US (69%) are either obese or overweight. Obesity rates are higher in non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Mexican American adults than in non-Hispanic White adults. Determining overweight, obese and severe obesity
Obesity is determined by calculating the body mass index (BMI, defined as the weight in kgs divided by height in meters squared). Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2. Obesity is defined as a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2. Severe obesity; BMI ≥40 kg/m2 (or ≥35 kg/m2 in the presence of comorbidities).
Why are we so concerned about obesity?
- Obesity is associated with several conditions that include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and certain types of cancers, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, arthritis, and frequent infections such as UTI’s. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, a significantly higher percentage of obese patients had more severe disease and even death compared to the normal counterparts.
- Obesity causes a low-grade, chronic, and inflammatory state in the body that eventually leads to lipid spill-over, glucotoxicity and insulin resistance.
- Obesity also has several social and psychological side effects, such as low self-esteem, poor job performance, unemployment,
- The current annual medical costs associated with obesity in the US are estimated to be anywhere between $147 billion to nearly $210 billion.
- Medical costs for obese adults were $1,861 higher than their normal counterparts.
What is the main cause of obesity?
Obesity is caused when we consume more calories than we can burn through physical activity. Foods high in calories–such as high-fat diets, added sugars and refined carbohydrates–play a very big role in the development of this condition. A lot of the metabolic conditions associated with obesity can be managed or improved through weight loss. The chronic inflammatory state associated with obesity is best managed by weight losing weight.
Our goal at Aesthetics and Medical Lasers of Colorado is to help you live a healthier lifestyle through our Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program. We use a combination of dietary education, lipotropic injections (MICC shot) and Semaglutide. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 analogue. It is FDA approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and weight loss. It is commonly sold in different formulations as Wegovy® or Ozempic®
Looking for a Medical Weight Loss Clinic in Longmont and/or Fort Collins? Contact us at (720) 818-0533 to book your appointment with our Weight loss Physician today!
