How To Manage Obesity with Digital Tech
We are concentrating on chronic diseases at Jinga Life. We have already spoken about asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. All of these chronic diseases affect millions of people worldwide. Today we are going to look at obesity as a chronic disease.
What is Obesity?
Obesity, according to NCBI “is a chronic disease with a multifactorial etiology including genetics, environment, metabolism, lifestyle, and behavioural components.” Obesity is a disorder involving the body’s excessive amount of fat. Being obese can mean all sorts of implications for your health. These implications can include cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, arthritis and disabilities, and much more (Postgrad Med).
According to the WHO, “overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.”
Who does Obesity Affect?
According to the Worldwide Health Organization (WHO), in “2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese.” In fact, since 1975, worldwide obesity has tripled! When it comes to children worldwide, the stats are scary:
41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2016.
Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.
Symptoms & Causes of Obesity
Obesity is calculated according to BMI (body mass index). “Obesity is diagnosed when your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. Your body mass index is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in meters (m) squared.” Mayo Clinic.
The main cause of obesity? Lifestyle. When we consume more calories than we expel in energy, we get what is known as a calorie surplus. This surplus is stored in the body as either muscle gain (think bodybuilder), or as excess fat. “Genes may play their part” Irish Health, but it is usually lifestyle that affects obesity most. Worldwide, WHO has found that:
“Changes in dietary and physical activity [which can lead to obesity] patterns are often the result of environmental and societal changes associated with the development and lack of supportive policies in sectors such as health, agriculture, transport, urban planning, environment, food processing, distribution, marketing, and education.”
Photo from TeroVesalainen by Pixabay
Prevention
Obesity can be prevented. Whether you are just on the edge of obesity, moderately healthy, or as fit as a fiddle, steps should always be taken to reduce the risk of obesity and the health risks that come with it.
If you or your family are obese, steps can be made to adjust your lifestyle and improve your health!
The best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to exercise regularly and eat a healthy balanced diet.
Prevention and Jinga Life
So you’ve decided to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle, yay! But you don’t know where to start when it comes to you and your family’s health. This is where Jinga Life comes in. We believe your health care should be in the palm of your hand, and accessible to you at anytime. This allows you to track and record your health, as well as take steps (pun intended) to become proactive in your and your family’s health and lifestyle.
By using innovative digital tech such as a digital scale, you can track your and your family’s weight and BMI over a period of time. Allowing you to not only see your progress, but analyse what works and what doesn’t when it comes to changing your lifestyle and preventing or overcoming obesity.
We recommend seeing a doctor before undertaking any major lifestyle change. The good thing about digital healthcare? You can show your doctor your progress right on your phone, so they can advise what you need to do.