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OBESITY

What is obesity?

 

It is among the most important health problems of developed and developing countries in the last 50 years. In general, obesity is an excessive increase in body fat mass.

Conditions that occur more frequently in obese people:

  1. Depression

  2. Disability

  3. Low self esteem

  4. Social Isolation

  5. lower business success

 

Obesity can reduce overall quality of life. You may not be able to do physical activities that you used to enjoy. You can avoid public places. People with obesity may even face discrimination.

 

Health problems/risk factors caused by obesity:

 

  • heart disease and stroke; Obesity makes you more likely to have high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels, which are risk factors for heart disease and strokes.

  • type 2 diabetes; Obesity can affect the way the body uses insulin to control blood sugar levels. This increases the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.

  • Some cancers ; Obesity can increase the risk of cancer of the uterus, cervix, endometrium, ovary, breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, and prostate.

  • digestive problems ; Obesity increases the likelihood of developing heartburn, gallbladder disease, and liver problems.

  • sleep apnea ; People with obesity are more likely to have sleep apnea.

  • osteoarthritis ; Obesity, in addition to promoting inflammation in the body, increases the stress placed on weight-bearing joints. These factors can lead to complications such as osteoarthritis.

  • Obesity increases the risk of developing severe symptoms if you become infected with the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) . With the collapse of the immune system, it increases the incidence of frequent infectious diseases.

  • sexual health ; Obesity causes sexual desire disorder, menstrual irregularities, infertility.

 

Obesity is a complex process that causes chronic inflammation. There is almost no system that it does not affect.

 

important facts (WHO data)

Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.

In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight. Of these, more than 650 million were obese.

In 2016, 39% of adults aged 18 years and older were overweight and 13% were obese.

Most of the world's population lives in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight.

In 2020, 39 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese.

More than 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.

 

Prevalence of Obesity in Turkey

The prevalence of obesity is increasing day by day in our country, as in other countries in the world. According to the preliminary study report of the "Turkey Nutrition and Health Research-2010" conducted by our Ministry; Obesity prevalence in Turkey;

  • Men 20.5%

  • Women, 41.0%

  • Total as 30.3%

 

In total, those who were overweight were 34.6%, those who were overweight and obese were 64.9%, and the rate of those who were very obese was 2.9%.

 

The most important and pleasing aspect of obesity is that it is preventable. Obesity and chronic diseases, which are more dangerous than the Covid 19 Pandemic, can be distanced by the joint work of individual, social, NGOs and legislators.

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