Is Your Weight a Cause for Concern? 10 Signs to Look Out For

Why maintain a Healthy Weight?

Maintaining a healthy balanced weight is essential for overall physical and mental health. In addition, it helps to prevent and control many disease conditions. A person is prone to severe health issues if they are overweight. Some clinical conditions are arthritis, PCOD in women, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones, asthma, and some cancers. Therefore maintaining a healthy weight is essential. It helps lower the risk of developing such health issues and makes a person more agile and energetic.  

What are the differences between being overweight and obese?

Being overweight can be termed excess body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and water, whereas obesity has high body fat. To measure if a person is obese or overweight, Body mass index (BMI) is used. 

What are the factors that help to achieve a healthy weight? 

Various factors contribute to a person’s such as environment, family history, metabolism, diet, and other habits. In our society being looks-obsessed, most people think being overweight is a cosmetic issue. But they don’t worry about the health issues caused by being overweight because being overweight may seriously threaten a healthy body.

Medical authorities use four categories to differentiate body weight. They are:

• Underweight: A person who weighs less than the healthy range for a particular age, sex, and height.
• Healthy weight: A person who weighs according to the healthy range for a particular age and sex.
• Overweight: When a person weighs more than the healthy range.
• Obese: when a person weighs much more than the healthy range for their age and sex.
• Muscle weighs more than fat; a muscular person may have a high BMI but not much body fat. Therefore, it is possible to have a low BMI but still have more body fat.

Causes of obesity

• Unhealthy diet: A diet high in calories but lacking in fruits and vegetables, fast food with high-calorie beverages, and large servings lead to weight gain.
• Liquid calories: People who take high-calorie beverages, like sweetened soft drinks, can gain weight quickly.
• Inactivity: People who lead a sedentary lifestyle are prone to take more calories daily than they burn through exercise and routine activities. 
• Medical conditions, such as arthritis, can decrease activity, resulting in weight gain.
• Certain medications such as corticosteroids and NSAIDs can lead to weight gain if not taken with proper countermeasures by taking a good diet and exercise. 
• In addition, the people around us can also significantly influence maintaining body weight. Therefore, always surround yourself with people with a positive mindset and encourage your efforts. 
• Obesity can be a problem for all age groups, from young children to older adults. However, childhood obesity is a great cause for concern in the present era as they are more prone to metabolic disorders at a young age.
• The hormonal changes, unhealthy food habits, and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of obesity. 

Other factors

• Pregnancy. Weight gain is typical in pregnant women. However, many women struggle to lose weight after childbirth. 
• Quitting smoke. Smoking is unhealthy, but stopping it can lead to considerable weight gain, to qualify as obesity. It happens as people tend to binge eat to cope with withdrawal symptoms. However, quitting smoking is still a health benefit. 
• Lack of sleep. No sleep or too much sleep can cause hormone changes that increase appetite. It leads to craving foods high in calories and carbs, contributing to weight gain.
• Stress. Mental stress or any external factors that affect mood and well-being may also lead to obesity since people tend to eat more, called stress-eating while handling critical situations.
• Microbe. The gut bacteria are affected by the food we eat. It may contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight.

Why does weight change as we age?

As we age, metabolism can change how the body gets energy from food. It means as age increases, older adults should become more active or maintain a healthy diet with sufficient intake of calories to maintain or achieve their ideal weight.

Other older adults may lose weight unintentionally. For example, it can happen if you have less appetite, have difficulty leaving the house to buy food, have pain while chewing or swallowing, or forget to eat.

1. Look out for sudden weight loss.

Sudden, unintended weight loss can signify severe medical problems such as cancer and gastrointestinal and nerve disorders. 

2. Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Many factors can affect your body weight, such as genetics, age, sex,  lifestyle, food habits, sleep, and work. Unfortunately, some elements can make maintaining or achieving a healthy weight challenging. However, following healthy eating habits and regular exercise can help keep the body as healthy as possible as you age. 

Keeping the weight in check is integral to graceful aging. Elevated body mass index (BMI) in older adults increases the risk of many health problems. Some of them are heart problems, hypertension, and diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight can decrease such chances.

Sometimes being underweight also develops health problems, a low BMI, maybe due to medical conditions leading to weakness, long-lasting illnesses, or infection. In addition, older adults with average weight can have more fat and less muscle than slightly overweight people. 

How are food, exercise, and calories related?

An active lifestyle and healthy foods can help you maintain or achieve your goal of attaining the optimum weight, feeling more energetic, and decreasing your chances of having other health problems. 

Therefore, it is essential to intake food items rich in micronutrients and at least 150 minutes of any workout in a week.

Therefore, exercise more often or eat fewer calories than recommended to lose weight. Conversely, increase the calories to gain weight while maintaining regular physical activity.

What foods are good to lose or gain weight?

Eating healthy foods matters whether you are trying to lose or gain weight. Following a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and lean proteins is best. Therefore, consulting with a healthcare provider or dietician about the diet that suits you may be accommodating:

• To reduce weight,
• Take small meals at the proper intervals
• Limit the food size to reduce the calorie intake.
• Always try to be as physically active as you can.
• Swap healthy foods instead of junk foods
• Water is essential for the body, so stay hydrated with water. 
• Avoid drinks with added sugar.
• Set realistic goals, such as 30-minute walks per day.
• If you are feeling sick or staying away from home, try returning to your routine as quickly as possible. 
• Maintain a record of the foods you eat in a food diary.

For gaining weight

• Eat foods with healthy fats, such as cheese, avocados, and peanut butter.
• Eat frequent, smaller meals throughout the day.
• Add nutritious snacks such as nuts, cheese, and dried fruit to your food.
• Always stay active

How much physical activity do I need?

Exercise and physical activity are suitable for everyone, including older adults. Try to do at least 30 minutes of walking or any other physical activity daily. Try different workouts and break up your training over a week. Be satisfied if you can keep up the schedule. It is always better to keep trying. 

Aging is associated with muscle loss for older adults, which may be a disadvantage. But being active from the beginning can help the elders maintain their muscle mass, making it easier to continue with their daily activities. They can also join local peer groups such as yoga, walking, and other activities instead of going to a gym or trainer.

There are many kinds of physical activities. First, select the one which you enjoy the most and stay motivated. Then, keep increasing the time of your workout gradually. You can alternate the activities every other day or week. However, if you want to start with a vigorous exercise program, it should be done under the guidance of a certified trainer with advice from your doctor.

Ten signs to look out for when a person needs to lose weight.

1. Chronic fatigue

when the routine life and work schedule exhaust you, it affects your physical activities, and you tend to gain excess fat and extra pounds. 

2. Increased cravings

the desire for sweets and wishes for fatty foods, along with increased appetite, can be a sign of obesity. This, in turn, makes you feel stressed and depressed and leads to stress eating. During stress, the adrenal glands release cortisol, increasing appetite. 

3. Increasing waistline

when your dress and jeans no longer fit, you have gained extra weight and a change in the waist measurement. When you start gaining weight, the excessive fat gets stored around the flanks and central abdomen. 

4. Painful joints

Excessive fat can put more pressure on the lower joints, especially the hips, and knees. The prolonged stress leads to wear and tear of the articular cartilage leading to pain and swelling of the joints.

5. Shortness of breath

people who are obese experience breathlessness very often while doing simple physical activities. Even the daily routine or walking a short distance can make them breathless and tired. 

6. Lethargy

due to the increasing weight, your daily physical activities could be affected. You begin to stay indoors, avoid exercise, or take the elevator instead of the stairs. 

7. Snoring at night

snoring is one of the typical signs of becoming obese as the fat deposit around the neck constricts the airways. In addition, you might suffer from sleeplessness, or sleep apnea, where irregular breathing disrupts sleep. 

8. Stretch marks

Excessive fat may stretch the tissue as it bulges the part and pull the skin along with it. Such fatty accumulations are mostly found near the lower abdomen, breasts, buttocks, and thighs. As a result, some people tend to get stretch marks at the slightest weight gain, while others have resilient skin that can resist pulling. 

9. Swollen and sore feet

The feet carry the whole weight of the body and are often prone to swelling and soreness, and the feet feel painful and sore. In addition, the leg and feet become edematic and also cause painful heels. 

10. Asthma

Obesity increases the chance of developing asthma as the person cannot work out or play sports, leading to breathlessness. Gradually it leads to cardiac asthma.

Risks of overweight and obesity

Being overweight and obese increases the risk of specific health problems and may be linked to certain emotional and social issues.

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Sleep apnea
• Depression 
• Metabolic syndrome
• High blood pressure
• High blood glucose levels
• High triglyceride levels
• Low levels of HDL cholesterol 
• Accumulation of fat around the waist
• Fatty liver diseases
• Osteoarthritis
• Gallbladder diseases
• Some cancers
• Gallstones
• Fatty liver
• Joint and muscle pain.
• Slipped capital femoral epiphyses (SCFE)
• Pseudotumor cerebri
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Insulin resistance and diabetes
• Pregnancy problems

What are the social issues associated with overweight and obesity?

Being overweight and obese is not only affects the body but also the mind due to the social stigma. It causes depression, insomnia, stress, low self-esteem, etc. 

Obesity triggers various health issues. For instance, being obese means, you have a higher risk of back pain, osteoarthritis, hypertension, and other heart diseases. In addition, according to the experts, obesity cause adverse effects on fertility. Therefore it is essential not to overlook this health condition.

Homeopathic approach for maintaining a healthy weight

Weight becomes an issue when it interferes with the person’s day-to-day life. It disrupts the daily activities and overall well-being of a person. Being obese leads to chronic and life-threatening conditions like cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and others. It goes unnoticed as the weight gain happens very gradually. 

Obesity is a complex medical condition involving an accumulation of excessive amounts of unwanted fat in the body. People don’t take it seriously but treat it as a cosmetic concern. But obesity increases the risk of other health problems such as heart disorders,  hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers.

It is tough to lose weight immediately as it includes hereditary, psychological, physiological, and environmental factors and lifestyle and food habits. Homeopathy can be used as an adjunct therapy along with conventional treatment or other Indian medical systems. It takes the whole individual symptoms, mental makeup, and susceptibility into account before prescribing a medicine. Just taking medicine alone will not result in a healthy weight. It is also as important to follow a proper diet and physical regimen.

Even the most negligible weight loss and the person’s perseverance to lose weight can improve overall health. A healthy balanced diet, regular workouts or physical activity, and behavioral changes can help people lose weight. In addition, prescription medications and weight-loss procedures are additional options for treating obesity.

Luckily, there is always time to make changes to help control weight gain and the health problems it causes. Those changes don’t have to be significant. Make Plans to cut back on sweetened beverages, limit the portions, and get more exercise, even if it is for just 15-30 minutes a day. Build your way up to significant changes by taking it slowly and gradually. There is no magic to decrease or increase the weight overnight. 

Summary

Obesity occurs in all age groups, adults and children. It causes physical, physiological, and psychological problems. 

Medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure often go hand-in-hand with obesity. Resulting complications include heart problems, stroke, and kidney disease.

A healthy body weight means a healthy body. It maintains overall health and well-being in various ways. Many signs exhibit when getting obese.

Some positive changes while losing weight are fitting your clothes, feeling good about yourself, and the curve of new muscle, etc. 

But the sudden decrease in the intake or fasting or change in food habits can bring out adverse side effects like fatigue or hair loss. Hence it should be done gradually with the help of a dietitian or a doctor to ensure you progress safely.