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Obesity as you age?
What is obesity?
There is a lot of confusion about what obesity is. Since the TV programme Obese – in which extremely overweight people try to lose weight under supervision – the term ‘obesity’ has become noticeably better known. At the same time, few people know what the standards are and it is often associated with the extreme overweight of Obese’s candidates.
The norm for obesity – other terms are obesity or obesity – is a BMI of 30 for adults. The BMI (Body Mass Index) can be calculated by dividing the weight by the square length. Suppose a person weighs 80kg and is 1.60m tall, then his BMI is 80/(1.60×1.60) = 31.25. So this person is obese according to the standards. One speaks of ‘morbid obesity’ when someone has a BMI of 40 or more.
Is obesity a disease?
Yes and no. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is a chronic disease in which there is a sinful excessive accumulation of fat in the body that gives rise to health risks. But obesity, expressed purely in terms of BMI, says relatively little about a person’s health and fitness. That is why the ABSI formula was recently developed. The ABSI (A Body Shape Index) combines the BMI with the abdominal girth. The belly size says a lot about the belly fat; and belly fat is associated with an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, among other things. But the fact remains that someone with an excessively high BMI and an excessively high ABSI can be in good shape. The ‘fat-but-fit’ principle applies here. In other words: a lot of exercise in combination with no or few risk factors in the family says more about a person’s health than the standard numbers.
Is obesity a problem?
Certainly. The United States recently reported that by 2030 at least 44% of the population would be obese in every state. In 1990 this was ‘only’ 12% and in 2009 more than 35%. The increase is enormous. It is certainly not plausible that everyone is ‘fat-but-fit’. The number of people with obesity is therefore relatively easy to determine. It is more difficult to determine how many people become ill and how many people die from the direct consequences of their extreme overweight. Illness is not only about ‘visible’ diseases such as cardiovascular problems, joint problems and cardiovascular diseases, but also about quality of life. The exact cost of the obesity epidemic is speculation. There will now be people who say: “Yes, but the Netherlands is not America. This is not going to happen here”. I would like to remind these people that ‘people’ said the same thing about 20 years ago. And look: the rapidly rising trend of overweight and obesity is also a fact here. It is to be hoped that the government will see the seriousness of this and will actively invest in a preventive policy.
Obesity. I find that hard to accept
Obesity
In all these years, we’ve only been able to add kilos. I am now obese. I find that hard to accept, but I’m never going to follow a diet again. Instead I try to teach myself a healthy lifestyle. This also involves trial and error, but it still seems to work. I have been stable for over a year now, there are no more kilos. And I am very happy with that.
Healthy lifestyle
What is a healthy lifestyle? It will be different for each person, but I can tell you what it means to me. Varied food, with lots of vegetables and lots of protein. Always having breakfast. Drinking water and green tea. Move around every day, even if it’s just taking the stairs or going for a walk outside during my lunch break instead of sitting at my desk. A few times a week a longer walk. Occasionally running or swimming. Avoid stress.
Enjoying treats
I can do a reasonable job of doing the above. Of course, walking or swimming can get in the way. Of course I am often stressed. Of course I have excesses. Recently I went out to dinner with my husband, and together we enjoyed beer and bitterballs as an appetizer. Actually I shouldn’t do that, but the more you forbid yourself, the harder it makes yourself. So it’s at times like that that that I consciously enjoy the good food and the pleasant evening with my husband. The following days I start to move a bit more and I eat a bit more fruit and vegetables.
Kilos off?
Soon I’m going to try to lose some kilos again, because that’s healthier. The basis remains the healthy lifestyle, but I’m going to eat less rice and potatoes and more vegetables, fish and chicken. And I’m going to start again with a training schedule for running. As long as it doesn’t look like a diet, because I’m allergic to it!
Tired of diet
This is my personal experience. I can imagine that if you want to lose a few kilos, you’ll have to ‘just’ follow a diet. With me there is no question of that. I also understand that if you weigh hundreds of kilos, as with the extreme waste programmes on television (Obese, My 600 lb-Life), extreme measures are needed. Like a gastric band or stomach reduction, a subject I’d rather not think about.