What is Obesity?

Obesity is among the most common health problems today. So what is obesity? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines obesity as excessive accumulation of fat in the body to the extent that it impairs health. In other words, it is a condition in which the fat mass is excessively increased compared to the lean mass and is a risk factor for acute or chronic diseases that occur as a result of excessive fat accumulation in the body. When left untreated, obesity shortens life expectancy and impairs quality of life.

For this reason, individuals should maintain their ideal weight and be treated under the guidance of a physician and dietician.

CAUSES OF OBESITY

Obesity is not only related to an unhealthy diet. Many reasons may underlie this problem. The underlying causes should be determined when making a diagnosis. The conditions that cause obesity can be listed as follows;

Sedentary lifestyle, wrong eating habits, some hereditary causes, work life, psychological problems and stress, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary, sleep apnea, thyroid gland problems, pancreatic problems, hormone disorders, pituitary gland diseases are among the causes of obesity.

DISEASES CAUSED BY OBESITY

Obesity is a disorder that adversely affects tissues and organs and is not just about being overweight, it can lead to many additional clinical problems such as hypertension and type 2 DM. In addition, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, skin diseases, metabolic hormonal complications, psycho-social complications, menstrual irregularities, sleep apnea, gallbladder diseases are among the complications caused by obesity.

WHAT IS OBESITY SURGERY?

Obesity surgery is the name given to all surgical interventions performed to eliminate morbid obesity. However, it should not be the first choice for every patient in the treatment process. Patients should first achieve weight control with diet and exercise. However, this method may not provide long-term sustainable weight loss in overweight patients with very high body mass index. For this reason, obesity surgery is a treatment method that is increasing day by day in order to provide permanent weight control for some patient groups.

Patients diagnosed with obesity should be evaluated by an endocrinologist, dietician and psychologist when necessary, so centers that work with a multidisciplinary weight management approach are important for surgical intervention. It is important that these centers are equipped to meet the care needs of individuals diagnosed with obesity.