It is a known fact that obesity is the mother of all diseases. The health consequences associated with obesity are many and currently, they’re affecting lives at an alarming rate. Obesity is a health disorder, where a person accumulates excess body fat which has negative effect on their health. It is commonly caused by a combination of overeating, lack of physical activity, and sometimes even genetic causes.
Childhood obesity is a matter of larger concern today. “Children and adolescents are the most affected due to genetics, lack of physical activities and unhealthy eating habits which further contribute to other diseases like asthma, osteoarthritis, high BP, etc. The trouble, however, is that the number of obese children suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has recently witnessed an upsurge,” said Dr Umesh Khanna, consultant nephrologist and transplant physician, Medical Director of NephroPlus, Borivali West, Mumbai.
” It can be concluded that one of the major factors driving CKD is obesity. CKD caused due to obesity can be prevented by highlighting the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, inculcate a proper diet and regular exercise,” added Dr Khanna. A healthy lifestyle indicates simple habits like sleeping on time, waking up early, eating the right food, inculcating some or the other form of exercise, all in all, taking care of oneself.
According to Dr Khanna, the treatment and prevention of obesity related to CKD can be viewed in three steps:
Watch your BMI and Waist-Hip Ratio
Try a combination of medical and natural remedies
Make lifestyle modifications
Watch your BMI and Waist-Hip Ratio
Observe and analyze your body closely. The prime aim is to measure the Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR).
BMI is a value derived from the mass and height of an individual while waist-hip ratio is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. Other deeper actions involve measuring conicity index (C-index) and presence of triglyceride fats. Conicity index is an estimate using waist circumference, height, and weight to analyze the accumulation of abdominal fat. Once the seriousness of obesity is identified, it’s easier to find a solution.
Try a combination of medical and natural remedies
“The implementation of the cure can take place in two ways depending upon the seriousness of obesity; medical or natural. Medical cure involves application of medical aid to treat obesity,” said Dr Khanna. However, one must always keep in mind that even though medical treatment would be faster, it would be accompanied by temporary or permanent side effects. Medical treatment could involve medicine to improve metabolism or even go upto undergoing a bariatric surgery.
This is the reason that natural methods are always preferred and suggested. Natural methods include shedding off- fat through dietary changes, behaviour changes and physical activity. Having a balanced diet, regular exercise routine are all branches of a healthy lifestyle which is integral for treating obesity.
Make lifestyle modifications
Losing fat will help in treating obesity but it is cured only when the excess fat is shed and kept off. This means maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a good amount of exercise, a nutritious diet and happiness.
Therefore, there is a greater need of understanding the causes of excessive energy intake which leads to obesity and is an indirect way of treating CKD. Treating obesity does not only pave way to prevention of diseases like CKD, it promotes an overall well- being too.
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