Nowadays, obesity is a common problem. Many people suffer from it. What can you do about it?

Overweight

Predominance is a contemporary problem. It is a major public health problem. In the Netherlands, 3 in 10 women and 4 in ten men are overweight. One in ten people in the Netherlands is obese. In the United States these figures are even higher. The excess weight is caused by fast food and lack of exercise.

What is too fat?

Height, build and length all play an important role in calculating a healthy weight. You can calculate it with the BMI: you divide the weight (in kilograms) by the height (in meters) squared. The results work as follows:Under 18: underweight, with possible consequences.

• 18-20: low weight
• 20-25: normal weight
• 25-30: overweight
• 30-40: obesity, serious overweight that puts health at risk.

Too fat is unhealthy

Obesity cannot yet be cured, but it can be treated effectively. If you have too much body fat it can be dangerous. Of the people who die from heart disease, approximately 10 to 15% are much too fat. Overweight people often have very high cholesterol. Usually, overweight people also have high blood pressure. It increases the risk of stroke, blindness and stroke. Overweight people sometimes also suffer from back pain and osteoarthritis of the knees and hips. There are also men and women who are extremely overweight and have to walk with crutches at the age of twenty-five.

How much weight to lose?

Imagine you have a BMI of 32. You are then in the danger zone with your weight. You want to have a BMI of 25, but you will probably never achieve that. Try to get out of the danger zone by losing weight. Losing weight too quickly is also not good for your health. Visit your dietitian for advice.

Help with losing weight

Nowadays there are many weight loss clubs such as Weight Watchers. They are based on the three pillars of obesity: eating too much and too fat, too little exercise and abnormal eating behavior. People are confronted there about their dominance and how they can get rid of it. Regular visits to the dietitian have the same effect. It has the advantage that they can determine a personal diet for everyone. There are also options to lose weight via the internet.

The surgeon

There are a number of surgical methods to help people lose weight, but they also have disadvantages. They are actually intended for people with a BMI over 40 and in certain cases. Surgeons reduce the size of the stomach (to achieve a feeling of satiety more quickly). This treatment has many side effects. Liposuction is a way to improve your contours, it is not a way to lose weight. Liposuction involves moving excess fat into strange places. This procedure is also not without danger and it has no positive effect on your excess weight.