Your body, particularly your heart, might suffer from carrying too much weight. Good news! You can take action to improve your health, and even a small weight loss can set you on the right track.
Why cut down on weight?
reduced chance of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Those with extreme obesity begin to experience metabolic benefits after they shed roughly 10% of their body weight.
You can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and risk factors like high blood pressure, glucose (blood sugar), and sleep apnea by losing weight. Additionally, it can help reduce triglycerides and total cholesterol while raising HDL, or “good” cholesterol.
Recognising excessive obesity
18.5 to 25 kg/m2 is the range of a healthy body mass index. You are deemed extremely obese (sometimes known as morbidly obese) if your BMI is 40 or greater. Children’s BMI is calculated using a different CDC BMI calculator.
If a lady weighs 235 pounds and is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, with a BMI of 40.3 kg/m2, she is considered extremely obese. She would need to shed ninety pounds in order to drop to 145 pounds and get a healthy BMI of 24.8.
If a man weighs 315 pounds and stands 6 feet 2 inches tall, with a BMI of 40.4 kg/m2, he is considered severely obese. He would need to shed 120 pounds in order to get down to 195 pounds, which would be the healthy BMI of 25.0.
Because BMI takes into account weight in proportion to height, health care providers use it to identify severe obesity rather than a fixed weight limit or number of pounds.
How to Improve Your Health
It may feel overwhelming to take action to lose weight and improve your health if you are extremely obese. It’s possible that you’ve struggled to sustain your weight loss, received a medical diagnosis, and experienced the stigma associated with obesity in society.
If you are really fat, you should increase your physical activity, but don’t begin an intense exercise regimen without first consulting a doctor. Additionally, you ought to hold off until you’ve shed roughly 10% of your body weight.
You can keep up your current level of physical activity, but before increasing it, speak with a healthcare provider. Exercise may not be possible for or may even make health conditions like arthritis or heart disease worse for certain individuals who are extremely obese.
Treatment modalities
Discuss with your physician the advantages and disadvantages of the following extreme obesity treatment methods in terms of health:
Adjust your food. It is possible that you will be directed to a nutritionist who can assist you in creating a weekly weight loss plan of one to two pounds. You must cut calories if you want to lose weight. Begin by keeping a record of everything you consume.
For example, you should cut 500 calories a day to lose around one pound, or you should cut 1,000 calories a day to lose approximately two pounds a week.
After you’ve lost at least 10% of your target weight, think about increasing your physical activity.
Drugs: Medication may be helpful for some people in their efforts to lose weight if they are really obese. Remember that drugs have adverse effects and might be costly.
Surgery: Bariatric or “metabolic” surgery may be a possibility if trying a different diet, increasing your physical activity, and taking medication hasn’t helped you lose enough weight. When medicine and lifestyle modifications have failed and the patient is deemed healthy enough for the treatment, the American Heart Association advises surgery. Infections and possibly harmful blood clots that develop quickly after surgery are possible risks. Concerns exist around maintaining the proper long-term vitamin and mineral intake as well.