{"id":108,"date":"2023-01-21T18:43:28","date_gmt":"2023-01-21T23:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=108"},"modified":"2023-11-01T18:56:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T22:56:29","slug":"obesity","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/chapter\/obesity\/","title":{"raw":"Obesity","rendered":"Obesity"},"content":{"raw":"Did you know that obesity is actually classified as a chronic disease?[footnote]Obesity Medicine Association. (2017). Why is obesity a disease? Retrieved from: https:\/\/obesitymedicine.org\/why-is-obesity-a-disease\/[\/footnote] In the western world, it is currently an epidemic[footnote]James W. P. (2008). WHO recognition of the global obesity epidemic. International journal of obesity (2005), 32 Suppl 7, S120\u2013S126.[\/footnote] and affects an individual\u2019s overall health in all aspects including physical and psychosocial spheres.\r\n\r\nThe\u00a0<strong>Body Mass Index<\/strong>\u00a0(BMI) is a calculation used to help assess a person\u2019s risk of developing health disorders associated with being overweight and underweight. BMI\u2019s are only utilized in those over age 18, and are used with caution in those over 65, as otherwise the results can be misleading. Persons with high or low muscle mass and pregnant women are also not suitable subjects for BMI calculations.\r\n\r\nThe BMI is a ratio of weight-to-height, not a direct measure of body fat. To calculate your BMI, you take your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared (weight (kg) \/ [height (m)]<sup>2)<\/sup>, or dividing weight in pounds (lbs) by height in inches (in) squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703 (weight (lb) \/ [height (in)]<sup>2<\/sup> x 703).\u00a0 Instead of doing the math, there are online calculators that do it for you! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/healthyweight\/assessing\/bmi\/adult_bmi\/english_bmi_calculator\/bmi_calculator.html\">This is one from the CDC.<\/a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\">\r\n<div class=\"h5p-action-bar-settings h5p-panel\"><code>[h5p id=\"10\"]<\/code><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\"><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\nThere are four categories of BMI ranges in the Canadian weight classification system. These are:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Underweight (less than 18.5)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Normal weight (between 18.5 and 24.9)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Overweight (between 25 and 29.9)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Obese (30 and over)[footnote]Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html[\/footnote]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn 2021, around 8.3 million (29%) Canadian adults (aged 18 and over) were considered obese based on their BMI, while the number of adults who were deemed overweight was over ten million (36%). [footnote]Elfein, J. (2022). Number of Canadian adults that are overweight or obese based on BMI 2015 to 2021. Statista. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/748326\/number-of-canadians-overweight-or-obese-based-on-bmi\/[\/footnote] This is alarming, as a high BMI is directly correlated with poor health outcomes.\r\n\r\n<strong>Waist circumference measurements<\/strong> are also tools used to estimate body fat because excess fat found around the waist (\"apple\" body shape) is associated with greater health risks than fat located more in the hips and thighs (\u201cpear\" body shape). This distinguishes between the more dangerous [pb_glossary id=\"714\"]visceral[\/pb_glossary] fat, which is characterized by abdominal obesity, versus subcutaneous fat, which is under the skin.\r\n\r\nA waist circumference of 102 cm (40 in.) or more for men, and 88 cm (35 in.) or more for women, is associated with an increased risk of developing health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.[footnote]Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nObesity is associated with numerous other disease conditions as well, including chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, some cancers, and mental health disorders such as depression.[footnote]Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html[\/footnote] In fact, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of disease and death worldwide.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhile many people believe that obese people are just over-nourished, they are in fact <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">MALnourished<\/span>, and are often lacking vital micronutrients due to a poor diet laden with refined sugars and carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats. Some recent studies suggest that the production of antibodies and multiplication of white blood cells are compromised in obese individuals, leading to increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections.[footnote]Milner, J. J., &amp; Beck, M. A. (2012). The impact of obesity on the immune response to infection. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 71(2), 298\u2013306. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4791086\/[\/footnote] [footnote]de Heredia, F. P., G\u00f3mez-Mart\u00ednez, S., &amp; Marcos, A. (2012). Obesity, inflammation and the immune system. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 71(2), 332\u2013338. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society\/article\/obesity-inflammation-and-the-immune-system\/BBA951027B413AEE76E3DA11A81173F1[\/footnote] [footnote]Voss, J. D., &amp; Dhurandhar, N. V. (2017). Viral Infections and Obesity. Current obesity reports, 6(1), 28\u201337.[\/footnote] [footnote]Falagas, M. E., &amp; Kompoti, M. (2006). Obesity and infection. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 6(7), 438\u2013446.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nData shows that our modern western diet that is characterized by overeating and poor dietary choices in the form of refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats are the primary causes of this epidemic, along with an increase in sedentary lifestyles. Research points to overall increases in amounts of food and calories consumed, and specifically to an increase in refined sugar consumption,[footnote]World Health Organization. (2023). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/obesity-and-overweight[\/footnote] which we will discuss in detail in the next chapter.","rendered":"<p>Did you know that obesity is actually classified as a chronic disease?<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Obesity Medicine Association. (2017). Why is obesity a disease? Retrieved from: https:\/\/obesitymedicine.org\/why-is-obesity-a-disease\/\" id=\"return-footnote-108-1\" href=\"#footnote-108-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a> In the western world, it is currently an epidemic<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"James W. P. (2008). WHO recognition of the global obesity epidemic. International journal of obesity (2005), 32 Suppl 7, S120\u2013S126.\" id=\"return-footnote-108-2\" href=\"#footnote-108-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a> and affects an individual\u2019s overall health in all aspects including physical and psychosocial spheres.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>Body Mass Index<\/strong>\u00a0(BMI) is a calculation used to help assess a person\u2019s risk of developing health disorders associated with being overweight and underweight. BMI\u2019s are only utilized in those over age 18, and are used with caution in those over 65, as otherwise the results can be misleading. Persons with high or low muscle mass and pregnant women are also not suitable subjects for BMI calculations.<\/p>\n<p>The BMI is a ratio of weight-to-height, not a direct measure of body fat. To calculate your BMI, you take your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared (weight (kg) \/ [height (m)]<sup>2)<\/sup>, or dividing weight in pounds (lbs) by height in inches (in) squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703 (weight (lb) \/ [height (in)]<sup>2<\/sup> x 703).\u00a0 Instead of doing the math, there are online calculators that do it for you! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/healthyweight\/assessing\/bmi\/adult_bmi\/english_bmi_calculator\/bmi_calculator.html\">This is one from the CDC.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"h5p-action-bar-settings h5p-panel\"><code><\/p>\n<div id=\"h5p-10\">\n<div class=\"h5p-content\" data-content-id=\"10\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/code><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p>There are four categories of BMI ranges in the Canadian weight classification system. These are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Underweight (less than 18.5)<\/li>\n<li>Normal weight (between 18.5 and 24.9)<\/li>\n<li>Overweight (between 25 and 29.9)<\/li>\n<li>Obese (30 and over)<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html\" id=\"return-footnote-108-3\" href=\"#footnote-108-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, around 8.3 million (29%) Canadian adults (aged 18 and over) were considered obese based on their BMI, while the number of adults who were deemed overweight was over ten million (36%). <a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Elfein, J. (2022). Number of Canadian adults that are overweight or obese based on BMI 2015 to 2021. Statista. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/748326\/number-of-canadians-overweight-or-obese-based-on-bmi\/\" id=\"return-footnote-108-4\" href=\"#footnote-108-4\" aria-label=\"Footnote 4\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[4]<\/sup><\/a> This is alarming, as a high BMI is directly correlated with poor health outcomes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Waist circumference measurements<\/strong> are also tools used to estimate body fat because excess fat found around the waist (&#8220;apple&#8221; body shape) is associated with greater health risks than fat located more in the hips and thighs (\u201cpear&#8221; body shape). This distinguishes between the more dangerous <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_108_714\">visceral<\/a> fat, which is characterized by abdominal obesity, versus subcutaneous fat, which is under the skin.<\/p>\n<p>A waist circumference of 102 cm (40 in.) or more for men, and 88 cm (35 in.) or more for women, is associated with an increased risk of developing health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html\" id=\"return-footnote-108-5\" href=\"#footnote-108-5\" aria-label=\"Footnote 5\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Obesity is associated with numerous other disease conditions as well, including chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, some cancers, and mental health disorders such as depression.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html\" id=\"return-footnote-108-6\" href=\"#footnote-108-6\" aria-label=\"Footnote 6\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[6]<\/sup><\/a> In fact, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of disease and death worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>While many people believe that obese people are just over-nourished, they are in fact <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">MALnourished<\/span>, and are often lacking vital micronutrients due to a poor diet laden with refined sugars and carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats. Some recent studies suggest that the production of antibodies and multiplication of white blood cells are compromised in obese individuals, leading to increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Milner, J. J., &amp; Beck, M. A. (2012). The impact of obesity on the immune response to infection. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 71(2), 298\u2013306. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4791086\/\" id=\"return-footnote-108-7\" href=\"#footnote-108-7\" aria-label=\"Footnote 7\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[7]<\/sup><\/a> <a class=\"footnote\" title=\"de Heredia, F. P., G\u00f3mez-Mart\u00ednez, S., &amp; Marcos, A. (2012). Obesity, inflammation and the immune system. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 71(2), 332\u2013338. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society\/article\/obesity-inflammation-and-the-immune-system\/BBA951027B413AEE76E3DA11A81173F1\" id=\"return-footnote-108-8\" href=\"#footnote-108-8\" aria-label=\"Footnote 8\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[8]<\/sup><\/a> <a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Voss, J. D., &amp; Dhurandhar, N. V. (2017). Viral Infections and Obesity. Current obesity reports, 6(1), 28\u201337.\" id=\"return-footnote-108-9\" href=\"#footnote-108-9\" aria-label=\"Footnote 9\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[9]<\/sup><\/a> <a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Falagas, M. E., &amp; Kompoti, M. (2006). Obesity and infection. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 6(7), 438\u2013446.\" id=\"return-footnote-108-10\" href=\"#footnote-108-10\" aria-label=\"Footnote 10\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Data shows that our modern western diet that is characterized by overeating and poor dietary choices in the form of refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats are the primary causes of this epidemic, along with an increase in sedentary lifestyles. Research points to overall increases in amounts of food and calories consumed, and specifically to an increase in refined sugar consumption,<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"World Health Organization. (2023). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/obesity-and-overweight\" id=\"return-footnote-108-11\" href=\"#footnote-108-11\" aria-label=\"Footnote 11\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[11]<\/sup><\/a> which we will discuss in detail in the next chapter.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-108-1\">Obesity Medicine Association. (2017). Why is obesity a disease? Retrieved from: https:\/\/obesitymedicine.org\/why-is-obesity-a-disease\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-2\">James W. P. (2008). WHO recognition of the global obesity epidemic. International journal of obesity (2005), 32 Suppl 7, S120\u2013S126. <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-3\">Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-4\">Elfein, J. (2022). Number of Canadian adults that are overweight or obese based on BMI 2015 to 2021. Statista. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/748326\/number-of-canadians-overweight-or-obese-based-on-bmi\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-4\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 4\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-5\">Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-5\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 5\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-6\">Government of Canada. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/healthy-living\/your-health\/lifestyles\/obesity.html <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-6\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 6\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-7\">Milner, J. J., &amp; Beck, M. A. (2012). The impact of obesity on the immune response to infection. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 71(2), 298\u2013306. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4791086\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-7\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 7\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-8\">de Heredia, F. P., G\u00f3mez-Mart\u00ednez, S., &amp; Marcos, A. (2012). Obesity, inflammation and the immune system. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 71(2), 332\u2013338. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society\/article\/obesity-inflammation-and-the-immune-system\/BBA951027B413AEE76E3DA11A81173F1 <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-8\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 8\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-9\">Voss, J. D., &amp; Dhurandhar, N. V. (2017). Viral Infections and Obesity. Current obesity reports, 6(1), 28\u201337. <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-9\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 9\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-10\">Falagas, M. E., &amp; Kompoti, M. (2006). Obesity and infection. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 6(7), 438\u2013446. <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-10\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 10\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-108-11\">World Health Organization. (2023). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/obesity-and-overweight <a href=\"#return-footnote-108-11\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 11\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div><div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_108_714\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_108_714\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Pertaining to the internal organs of the body.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1861,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[49],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-108","chapter","type-chapter","status-web-only","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":53,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1861"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1024,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/108\/revisions\/1024"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/53"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/108\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=108"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=108"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}