Due to the rising prevalence of obesity, overweight, and central obesity (abdominal fat) worldwide, along with the neglect of healthy lifestyle patterns such as physical activity, healthy nutrition, adequate sleep, and coping with life stressors and with the increasing number of self-proclaimed social media influencers who provide health advice to millions of followers, often recommending dietary supplements and rapid weight-loss products that promise results in mere days, along with other uninformed slimming remedies without scientific basis, which pose serious health risks to those who trust and use them without medical consultation, there has become an urgent need in our Arab communities, particularly in the Gulf region, for specialized healthcare consultants to deliver accurate, evidence-based medical information in a simple and accessible manner. Therefore, we begin with you this awareness journey about obesity as a disease: its causes, complications, contributing factors, prevention, diagnosis, and scientifically validated treatment methods.<\/p>\n\n
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies obesity as a non-communicable disease (NCD) and not merely as a symptom. Obesity is a condition characterized by excessive body fat accumulation. It occurs when calorie intake exceeds the number of calories burned through normal daily activities and exercise, leading the body to store the surplus energy as fat.<\/p>\n\n
The causes of obesity include:<\/p>\n\n
Body Mass Index (BMI)<\/strong> is commonly used to diagnose obesity, and for greater accuracy, body composition analysis is used, including body mass, muscle mass, fat mass, and body water content, using a device the measures these components. Body Mass Index is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. Obesity is divided into three stages, the first stage is from 30 to 34.9, the second stage is from 35 to 39.9, and the third stage, which is severe (morbid) obesity, is from 40 and above. <\/p>\n\n Waist circumference measurement is used to identify central obesity. This measurement can be easily performed at home and is accessible to everyone. You only need to know the correct method of measurement, which involves placing the measuring tape at the midpoint of the imaginary vertical line between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone (iliac crest). Measurements differ between men and women. The Obesity is considered one of the biological risk factors that may lead to the development of other non-communicable chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, or various types of cancer. To prevent obesity and other diseases, we must all adopt healthy lifestyle practices by consuming healthy balanced food, through avoiding sugars and sweetened beverages, including carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks, even sugar-free (diet) versions. Avoid excessive consumption of carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, and white pasta, and replace them with whole-grain alternatives. Avoid consuming juices, even natural ones, and instead consume whole fruits (without juicing). Avoid eating chips due to their unhealthy oils, additives, and flavor enhancers, which stimulate the body to overeat. Engage in moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day, at least 5 days per week (minimum 150 minutes weekly). Abstain from smoking and avoid sitting with smokers to avoid exposure to secondhand (passive) smoke. Cope with life stressors using several methods such as deep breathing relaxation exercises and counting methods used for relaxation, anger relief, tension, and other methods. Getting an adequate amount of sleep for adults at a rate of 6 to 7 continuous hours, preferably during nighttime rather than daytime, to promote secretion of the satiety hormone (leptin) and reduce secretion of the hunger hormone (ghrelin). We should also not forget to perform regular medical check-ups as advised by your physician at your primary healthcare center for the early detection of diseases.<\/p>\n\n There are several approaches to strengthen willpower for weight loss, including knowing the goal of weight reduction, whether the goal is health-related, aesthetic, or psychological. Prepare mentally and set a specific start date. Also, manage stimuli associated with overeating, such as eating while watching television, keeping food constantly displayed on tables in the dining room, living room, or TV room, dining with friends at a restaurant without monitoring portions, and other triggering situations. Then comes the commitment to changing undesirable habits. Rewards and encouragement are among the means of strengthening willpower to get rid of obesity, especially positive thinking and morale-boosting, which help in developing goal-oriented plans for weight loss. We should also not forget the support and encouragement of family and friends, whose impact on strengthening willpower is significant. Some individuals also adopt a challenge-based approach as a means to achieve their goals. As for self-monitoring through keeping a daily food and physical activity records, its effectiveness has been proven in training the brain to think consciously before consuming food and beverages. We summarize some methods to eliminate central obesity (abdominal fat) by avoiding sugars, juices, and sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks and energy drinks, increase protein intake and reduce carbohydrate consumption, consume fiber-rich foods, perform abdominal muscle-strengthening exercises, track daily food intake and keep a food diary for evaluation, and ensure adequate daily water intake.<\/p>\n\n When to See a Doctor?<\/p>\n\n If you are concerned about your weight or weight-related health problems, consult your healthcare providers for proper evaluation and management of obesity, including the necessary tests. In collaboration with your healthcare team, you can assess your health risks and discuss weight-loss options.<\/p>\n\n Let our goal be to encourage one another to adopt a healthy dietary and daily physical activity pattern, promoting a community-wide culture that reduces the burden of obesity and its complications.<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Due to the rising prevalence of obesity, overweight, and central obesity (abdominal fat) worldwide, along with the neglect of healthy lifestyle patterns such as physical activity, healthy nutrition, adequate sleep, and coping with life stressors and with the increasing number of self-proclaimed social media influencers who provide health advice to millions of followers, often recommending dietary supplements and rapid weight-loss products that promise results in mere days, along with other uninformed slimming remedies without scientific basis, which pose serious health risks to those who trust and use them without medical consultation, there has become an urgent need in our Arab communities, particularly in the Gulf region, for specialized healthcare consultants to deliver accurate, evidence-based medical information in a simple and accessible manner. Therefore, we begin with you this awareness journey about obesity as a disease: its causes, complications, contributing factors, prevention, diagnosis, and scientifically validated treatment methods. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies obesity as a non-communicable disease (NCD) and not merely as a symptom. Obesity is a condition characterized by excessive body fat accumulation. It occurs when calorie intake exceeds the number of calories burned through normal daily activities and exercise, leading the body to store the surplus energy as fat. The causes of obesity include: Body Mass Index (BMI) is commonly used to diagnose obesity, and for greater accuracy, body composition analysis is used, including body mass, muscle mass, fat mass, and body water content, using a device the measures these components. Body Mass Index is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. For reference numerous online applications and tools are available for automatic BMI Obesity is divided into three stages, the first stage is from 30 to 34.9, the second stage is from 35 to 39.9, and the third stage, which is severe (morbid) obesity, is from 40 and above. Waist circumference measurement is used to identify central obesity. This measurement can be easily performed at home and is accessible to everyone. You only need to know the correct method of measurement, which involves placing the measuring tape at the midpoint of the imaginary vertical line between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone (iliac crest). Measurements differ between men and women. The normal measurement for women is less than 88 cm, and central obesity in women starts from 88 cm and above. For men, the normal measurement is less than 102 cm, and central obesity in men starts from 102 cm and above Obesity is considered one of the biological risk factors that may lead to the development of other non-communicable chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, or various types of cancer. To prevent obesity and other diseases, we must all adopt healthy lifestyle practices by consuming healthy balanced food, through avoiding sugars and sweetened beverages, including carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks, even sugar-free (diet) versions. Avoid excessive consumption of carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, and white pasta, and replace them with whole-grain alternatives. Avoid consuming juices, even natural ones, and instead consume whole fruits (without juicing). Avoid eating chips due to their unhealthy oils, additives, and flavor enhancers, which stimulate the body to overeat. Engage in moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day, at least 5 days per week (minimum 150 minutes weekly). Abstain from smoking and avoid sitting with smokers to avoid exposure to secondhand (passive) smoke. Cope with life stressors using several methods such as deep breathing relaxation exercises and counting methods used for relaxation, anger relief, tension, and other methods. Getting an adequate amount of sleep for adults at a rate of 6 to 7 continuous hours, preferably during nighttime rather than daytime, to promote secretion of the satiety hormone (leptin) and reduce secretion of the hunger hormone (ghrelin). We should also not forget to perform regular medical check-ups as advised by your physician at your primary healthcare center for the early detection of diseases. There are several approaches to strengthen willpower for weight loss, including knowing the goal of weight reduction, whether the goal is health-related, aesthetic, or psychological. Prepare mentally and set a specific start date. Also, manage stimuli associated with overeating, such as eating while watching television, keeping food constantly displayed on tables in the dining room, living room, or TV room, dining with friends at a restaurant without monitoring portions, and other triggering situations. Then comes the commitment to changing undesirable habits. Rewards and encouragement are among the means of strengthening willpower to get rid of obesity, especially positive thinking and morale-boosting, which help in developing goal-oriented plans for weight loss. We should also not forget the support and encouragement of family and friends, whose impact on strengthening willpower is significant. Some individuals also adopt a challenge-based approach as a means to achieve their goals. As for self-monitoring through keeping a daily food and physical activity records, its effectiveness has been proven in training the brain to think consciously before consuming food and beverages. \u00a0 We summarize some methods to eliminate central obesity (abdominal fat) by avoiding sugars, juices, and sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks and energy drinks, increase protein intake and reduce carbohydrate consumption, consume fiber-rich foods, perform abdominal muscle-strengthening exercises, track daily food intake and keep a food diary for evaluation, and ensure adequate daily water intake. When to See a Doctor? If you are concerned about your weight or weight-related health problems, consult your healthcare providers for proper evaluation and management of obesity, including the necessary tests. In collaboration with your healthcare team, you can assess your health risks and discuss weight-loss options. Let our goal be to encourage one another to adopt a healthy dietary and daily physical activity pattern, promoting a community-wide culture that reduces the burden of obesity and its complications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":98395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102711"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102717,"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102711\/revisions\/102717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourhealthguide.ghc.sa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n