Obesity
Obesity is a condition in which a person has excess body fat. More than just a number on a scale or the size of someone’s body, obesity can increase a person’s risk of diseases and health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. It is a complex problem and a major public health concern through out the world.
Symptoms
Obesity is when your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. The primary warning sign of obesity is an above-average body weight.
If you are obese, you may also experience:
- Trouble sleeping
- Sleep apnea. This is a condition in which breathing is irregular and periodically stops during sleep.
- Shortness of breath
- Varicose veins
- Skin problems caused by moisture that accumulates in the folds of your skin
- Gallstones
- Osteoarthritis in weight-bearing joints, especially the knees
Obesity increases your risk for:
- High blood pressure
- High levels of blood sugar (diabetes)
- High cholesterol
- High triglycerides levels
Causes
Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you consume high amounts of energy, particularly fat and sugars, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surplus energy will be stored by the body as fat.
Naturopathic Treatment of Obesity
Naturopathy considers obesity to be less about diet and more about correcting underlying imbalance through lifestyle change that requires a plan of care that supports long-term sustainable health optimization. Six foundational principles inform this plan and can be used to treat obesity.