Obesity & Weight Control

Angie Saweres, Arezoo Jamshidifar, Cynthia Rincon, Maryam Jambor Sadeghian, Sandra

Pelayo

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a condition that is associated with having an excess of body fat, defined by genetic and environmental factors that are difficult to control when dieting. Obesity is classified as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. BMI is a tool used to measure obesity. http://www.obesityaction.org/understanding-obesity/obesity

Statistics

➢  Globally there are 475

million obese adults

➢  Over 200 million

children are

overweight

Socioeconomic Factors

➢  High socioeconomic status ○  Healthier foods, whole

grains, lean meats ➢  Low socioeconomic status

○  Food insecurity ○  Less accessibility ○  Lack of knowledge

Different Life Stages of Obesity

➢ Childhood Obesity ➢ Elderly Obesity ➢ What does race and gender have to do with it?

Childhood Obesity

➢  BMI Chart for Children ➢  Causes ➢  Prevention

BMI Chart for Children

Children’s growth and development are different than adults

Causes of Childhood Obesity

➢ Some studies found BMI is 25-40% hereditary

Causes Cont’d

Poor Diet-eating high calories, but low nutrients Which can lead to: ➢ Heart disease ➢ Diabetes ➢ Sleep apnea

Children’s Diet & Social Class

Children living in low income communities are

more likely to become overweight

Due to:

➢  Low cost foods usually contain high fat & sugar ➢  Nutrient dense foods are expensive

Prevention

Children’s diet behavior is influenced from the home

➢  Talk to your children ➢  Incorporate healthy foods when cooking meals

○  More vegetables, fruits, legumes, etc

➢  Let children participate in making meals ➢  Encourage physical activity ➢  Parents lead by example

Elderly Obesity

Factors that contribute to obesity:

➢  BMI level ➢  Decrease in energy expenditure ➢  Decrease in physical activities

Diseases

➢ Diabetes mellitus ➢ Hypertension ➢ Dyslipidemia ➢ Arthritis ➢ Obstructive sleep apnea ➢ Urinary incontinence ➢ Cataracts

Prevention There are different types of treatment including:

➢  Lifestyle intervention: modified by consuming low energy diet and doing physical activities.

➢ Pharmacotherapy: use of drugs such as sibutramine and orlistat.

➢ Surgery: gastric bypass and gastric band.

Gastric Bypass

Gastric band

Risk factors

➢ Age ➢ Sex ➢ Race ➢ Genetics

Gender Factors

Women ➢ More body fat ➢  Less muscle density

Men ➢  Less body fat ➢  More muscle density

❖  Women tend to be heavier than men

Age Factors

➢  Weight continues to increase as we age

➢  Different changes in

body composition occur with age

Race Factors

➢  African Americans

are heavier than Hispanics and Whites

Genetics

➢ Researchers found new genetic factors that could explain weight gain in some people.

Recommendations as Meal Managers

➢ Methods that follow a healthy diet:

○  variety, balance, and moderation

➢ Educate those who are not informed

➢ Using MyPlate as a reference can help

as well

○  Recommends what foods to eat

The Role of Diet and Exercise

❖  Using exercise alone to treat obesity does not work

➢  Takes ~2 years for a sedentary person to

achieve a normal weight with walking

❖  Using diet alone, reduces weight dramatically

➢ Restricting certain foods help, and eating a

high-protein diet aids in satiety