Obesity is not only an aesthetic problem, but can also lead to the development of serious diseases. Bekhan Khatsiev, President of the Russian Association of Obesity Surgeons, talked about the basic misconceptions about obesity in a conversation with Doctor of Medical Sciences socialbites.ca.
The first misconception, according to the doctor, is due to the fact that a person is responsible for obesity and can cope with this problem on his own. However, studies show that 80-90% of obese people who lose weight through diet and exercise return to their original weight.
“This is fundamentally against physiology. Hunger is one of those emotions that is difficult to control. When a person develops obesity and tries to lose weight through diets, they are fighting with their body as their body has already switched to a different metabolic regimen. The restriction in food is read as hunger for the body and stores resources. As a result, the person unsuccessfully struggling with himself, ”Khatsiyev explained.
Another popular myth is that obesity is just an aesthetic issue.
“The fact is that obesity is a serious chronic, multifactorial, recurrent disease. It leads to the development of concomitant diseases: heart and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and others, ”the doctor emphasized.
According to him, appearance is “the tip of the iceberg” and ignoring health problems can turn into sad consequences. The surgeon realized that people often underestimated the severity of the disease, thinking that the only problem was its unusual appearance. From this comes another belief.
The third myth about obesity is that it doesn’t need to be treated.
“If one has the impression that the problem of obesity lies only in appearance, and that it can be overcome with the help of the notorious “willpower”, such an opinion is quite plausible. Unfortunately, in reality, everything is much more complicated and obesity needs to be treated and it is important. This is done by a multidisciplinary team of endocrinologists, bariatric surgeons, therapists and psychologists. “This is a serious and lengthy process that requires monitoring of the patient, changing dietary habits, and sometimes surgical treatment,” he said.
In cases where there are severe forms of obesity, when the BMI exceeds 35, bariatric surgery is indicated for the person. There are also many legends around him.
“This is a relatively safe and low-traumatic operation. Excess body weight in operated patients is reduced by more than 60% in one to one and a half years, of which 75-90 percent achieve a stable remission of type 2 diabetes for five years or longer.” Khatsiyev concludes.
To prevent the development of the disease, Khatsiev recommended leading an active lifestyle, adding physical activity to the daily routine, for example, walking near the house or any sport that a person likes. Also, the doctor drew attention to the diet.
Previously at the Ministry of Health reported About the rapid spread of obesity among men over 40 from the Russian Federation.