Obesity is the accumulation of abnormal and excessive fat in the body in a way that disrupts the health of the calories we cannot burn after burning the calories we take in with food.
In terms of health, the generally acceptable ideal fat ratio is between 18%-26% for men and 25%-31% for women. The ideal fat ratio for a muscular individual should be 6%-13% for men and 14%-20% for women.
Ideal body fat is calculated by determining proportions of length, weight, neck circumference, waist circumference and hip circumference and dividing them with each other. These rates tell us whether a person is at risk or not.
Currently, the obese population in the world is 30%. Obesity is just as dangerous as smoking. It can cause many diseases and is the 1st cause of death that we can prevent.
Rates of obesity are increasing in the world, as in our country. It has doubled in 28 years, affecting 205 million men and 297 million women. More than 30 percent of the world population which is equal to 2.1 million people are overweight or obese, and it is possible that this percentage increased to 50 percent by 2030.
The annual global cost of obesity amounts to 2 trillion dollars and 2.8 percent of annual economic activity. It is known that the associated costs of obesity are close to those of smoking, war, terrorism and armed conflicts, and higher than those of alcohol abuse and global warming.
There are different methods for determining obesity, but the most widely used measurement method recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization) is the body mass index (BMI). BMI is defined as the subject’s weight divided by the square of their height in square meter.
Below 18.5 kg/m²: Underweight
Between 18.5 – 24.9 kg/m²: Normal weight
Between 25 and 29.9 kg/m²: Overweight
Between 30 and 39.9 kg/m²: Obese
Between 40 – 50 kg/m²: Morbid Obese
Between 50 – 60 kg/m²: Super Obese
Over 60 kg/m²: Super Super Obese
In our clinic, we also check the body fat ratio to evaluate a patient as obese.
Excess nutrition or malnutrition like excess food intake or foods with high calories, decreases physical activity, aging (metabolism slows down), gender (women are known to have more tendency), high number of delivery and low frequency between deliveries, hormonal disorders, short-term and shock body-loss diets, metabolic and psychological factors and genetic tendency.
Obesity is a result of our lifestyle. For this reason, change in lifestyle is very important in obesity treatment. Increased physical activity and physical exercise are very important.
In pre-operation meetings with our dietitian, we focus especially on this subject. We also emphasize that it is essential for our patients to change their lifestyles after operation. So that, loss weight will be permanent and healthier. Change in lifestyle and diet will lead people to be healthier after the operation.
Obesity shortens lifetime approximately 9 years in women and 12 years in men. As it is listed below, it causes many diseases from cancer to cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus.
• Type 2 diabetes
• Hypertension, Coronary artery disease, Heart failure
• Respiratory disorders
• Metabolic syndrome, Insulin resistance, High cholesterol and lipid levels
• Fatty liver-pancreas
• Menstrual irregularities, Infertility, Childbirth Complications, Polycystic ovary syndrome, excess body hair growth
• Sleep apnea, sleep disorders
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Depression, lack of social interaction
• Osteoarthritis (bone and joint disease)
• Varicose veins • Brain hemorrhage and stroke • Gallstones
Breast (high cholesterol in blood leads estrogen exposure in breasts), some cancers such as colon cancer and prostate cancer
• Urinary incontinence
Besides factors specified above, there are many social factors such as having the shoelace tied by someone else, failure in crossing legs, having problems to find clothes in shops, feeling that everyone is looking at her/him, drawing attention in social environments. In fact, obesity is the world’s most important disease that disrupts the mental and physical health and quality of life.
First of all, diet treatment and exercise should be planned for the patient by the dietitian, then, if necessary, medications should be prescribed by a doctor, and psychological and other treatment methods should be added.
The patient should be analyzed in detail and it should be found out that if there is any natural cause (genetic, endocrine or neurological) of obesity, or if it is caused by any medication. Morbid obesity is a very serious disease which shortens lifetime.
After this surgery, it possible to cure many diseases, associated with obesity, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, knee – joint aches, shortness of breath, sleep apnea, insulin resistance, fatty liver. After the operation, patient quit many medications based on hypertension, diabetes mellitus. 70-80% of co-morbid diseases can be cured. Patients who lose weight quickly experience a huge change in their body, spirit and health. With this surgery, patients’ life expectancy increases, their quality of life improves and they become much happier people psychologically.
