The holiday season has come to end – which means an end to binging on holiday treats and beverages. While we go about trying to figure out various ways to shed the excess weight, for some individuals weight gain can mean a serious health condition.
Obesity has become a growing health problem around the world. According to statistics, one in four adults is living with obesity in Canada and over 50 per cent of the population suffers from obesity or being overweight. In fact, Canadian men have a greater rate of obesity than women. Dr. Megha Poddar, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist, says, “About 40 per cent of men in Canada are overweight and 20 per cent of men are living with obesity,” sharing inputs from data published in 2011 by Statistics Canada.
She points out that men are more likely to be overweight or have Class 1 obesity i.e. a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-30 kg/ m2. However, women have a greater rate of more severe obesity than men. “The age group in which adult men (and women) tend to have the highest rates of obesity is between 45-65 years across all obesity classes.”
Being overweight is a common health issue among the South Asians population in Canada, particularly among males. Dr. Poddar agrees, stating that South Asian men have larger abdominal waist measurements than Caucasian men, which causes abdominal obesity, despite having a lower BMI. “What this means is that although South Asian men in Canada have similar BMIs to the national male averages, they are at higher risk of suffering from the complications of obesity, including type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.”
Abdominal fat, according to the specialist, has also been shown to cause various changes in hormones specifically insulin resistance (which can cause type 2 diabetes), too much cortisol (a steroid hormone), and too little growth hormone (important for keeping normal levels of muscle and fat in your body). “Abdominal fat itself can release hormones which can affect your hunger levels and your ability to feel full,” adds Dr. Poddar.
These alarming health threats lead us to one important question: What causes obesity? “The most common causes include genetics, lifestyle, mental health, poor sleep, medications, and other medical issues,” answers Dr. Poddar, calling obesity a multifactorial disease.
Other factors include a bad diet i.e. lack of control over food choices and meal preparation or intake of low nutrition calorie-dense foods or processed foods; consumption of alcohol and higher-calorie, sugar-sweetened beverages; limited time and resources for recreational activities; and delay in seeking medical help, leading to late diagnosis.
Mental health issues and weight gain are also related. “Mood disorders have been very closely linked with obesity and can occur in up to 20-60 per cent of patients with obesity,” reveals Dr. Poddar shedding light on the strong link between the two, “Often medications such as anti-depressants or mood stabilizers for common psychiatric conditions can lead to weight gain. Having a mood disorder can also affect how patients respond to treatments for obesity.”
Among the South Asian population, there are also socio-cultural impacts of lower disease awareness, religious factors, and language barriers that may play a role in delaying treatment for obesity.
The easiest non-medical way to prevent obesity: lifestyle changes. “Healthy lifestyle changes in the Canadian clinical practice guidelines include reducing caloric intake by 500-1000 kcal/day and focusing on high protein or low fat diets,” states Dr. Poddar.
Her advice is to start a healthy exercise regimen of 30 minutes of moderate intensity (jogging or biking) three to five times per week, eventually increasing to 60 minutes of exercise (a health professional’s consultation is recommended). Also, resistance exercise training (muscle strengthening using resistance bands) is important for weight maintenance and should be incorporated into routine exercise. In short, Dr. Poddar believes that “lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, are the cornerstone to success with any form of treatment and should be emphasized in all individuals with obesity.”
Beyond lifestyle changes, Dr. Poddar says that two medications, liraglutide and orlistat, are available by prescription for obesity management in Canada. “Medications are offered to patients with a BMI above 30 kg/m2 or a BMI above 27 kg/m2 with additional medical illnesses related to obesity, in addition to lifestyle management.”
Bariatric surgery is another treatment option. “Bariatric surgery is often the most successful treatment for patients with many health problems related to obesity and who have high BMIs (usually greater than 40),” says the expert.
The first step, however, should be seeking help. “Obesity in men is likely underestimated as often it is only measured based on BMI. Measuring waist circumference and evaluating physical/ medical complications of weight may be a better way to diagnose obesity in order to help prevent its complications,” concludes Dr. Poddar.
Small decisions can lead to big changes:
► Walk, then walk more and then walk even more. Sitting is not a healthy activity.
► Park at the back of the parking lot.
► If you have to take the stairs set a rule for yourself – three floors or less take the stairs, four floors then the elevator is okay.
► Get outside and do activities with your family. Go for an easy hike and explore.
► Order half fries and half salad when eating out.
► Drink five glasses of water per day.
► Get seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
► Skip the sugary cereal.
