10 reasons you can't afford to be obese

[email protected] (Health Me Up)
August 29, 2014

ObeseObesity is by definition excess of fat storage rather than weight. Men with more than 25% of total body fat and women with more than 30% total body fat are considered obese.

There are many different ways to classify obesity. In accordance with endocrine and pathogen of the metabolic disease, obesity can be divided into simple obesity, secondary obesity and drug-induced obesity. Obesity, a growing health problem, is the door to a lot of illness and life threatening conditions that can make your life a living hell. Dr Ramen Goel, Head, Bariatric Surgery, Nova Specialty Surgery, Tardeo Mumbai, explains 10 reasons why obesity is bad for your health.

Type 2 diabetes

Obesity is one of the major causes of type 2 diabetes. Studies suggest that higher than normal body weight greatly increases the risk of getting diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes in return leads to all serious complications such as high BP, heart attacks, brain strokes, blindness, kidney failures and nerve damages with amputations.

Heart attack

Obesity and overweight are linked to several factors that increase one's risk for cardiovascular disease (heart attack). Abdominal obesity or pot belly is said to be one of the major risk factors that can lead to heart ailments.

High blood pressure

Weight gain and hypertension are interconnected as increased weight raises the risk of developing high blood pressure. Weight reduction can actually help normalize the blood pressure. No wonder doctors recommend those suffering from hypertension to exercise and maintain their body weight.

Obstructive sleep apnea

Obesity results in obstructive sleep apnea where the person is not able to sleep well and snores, while remaining drowsy during the day. It is a respiratory problem in which breathing is stopped intermittently during sleep. Besides problem of sleep this results in high BP, heart failure etc.

Gout

An obese person is four times as likely to develop gout- a medical problem that affects joints, as someone with a normal body weight. In gout people have increased uric acid levels which results in painful, red and inflamed joints. With weight loss, the uric acid levels in the blood can decrease.

High cholesterol

One of the major risks in being overweight is the development of high cholesterol. Obesity increases the levels of triglycerides and bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body. Obese people generally have low levels of good cholesterol (HDL). High level of LDL and low level of HDL are major causes of atherosclerosis which results in narrowing of blood vessels leading to heart attack.

GERD

Recent research suggests that obesity is driving rise in people suffering from acid reflux. Obesity increases reflux because abdominal fat puts pressure on the ring of muscle at the bottom of the oesophagus - the 10-inch tube connecting the throat to the stomach - which normally prevents stomach acid from flowing back. The condition leads to heartburn.

Osteoarthritis

Being overweight puts extra stress on the joints, such as the knees, and consequently is a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. Increased body weight puts more stress on joint surfaces causing damage.

Cancer

Medical research suggests that obesity plays an important role in cancer and that the lifetime risk of cancers is more among obese individuals. Obese people have higher chances of getting bowel, breast and esophageal cancers.

Heart failure

Worldwide research suggests that increased body-mass index is associated with an increased risk of heart failure.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New York, Jul 30: Can the coronavirus spread through the air? Yes, it's possible.

The World Health Organisation recently acknowledged the possibility that Covid-19 might be spread in the air under certain conditions.

Recent Covid-19 outbreaks in crowded indoor settings — restaurants, nightclubs and choir practices — suggest the virus can hang around in the air long enough to potentially infect others if social distancing measures are not strictly enforced.

Experts say the lack of ventilation in these situations is thought to have contributed to spread, and might have allowed the virus to linger in the air longer than normal.

In a report published in May, researchers found that talking produced respiratory droplets that could remain in the air in a closed environment for about eight to 14 minutes.

The WHO says those most at risk from airborne spread are doctors and nurses who perform specialized procedures such as inserting a breathing tube or putting patients on a ventilator.

Medical authorities recommend the use of protective masks and other equipment when doing such procedures.

Scientists maintain it's far less risky to be outside than indoors because virus droplets disperse in the fresh air, reducing the chances of Covid-19 transmission.

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Agencies
January 16,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 16: Kerala Tourism on Wednesday shared a recipe of a popular meat dish in the Central Travancore region of Kerala, Beef Ularthiyathu, which is a special delicacy in the region.

Taking to its Twitter handle, the Kerala Tourism wrote, "Tender chunks of beef, slow-roasted with aromatic spices, coconut pieces, and curry leaves. A recipe for the most classic dish, Beef Ularthiyathu, the stuff of legends, from the land of spices, Kerala."

The State Tourism also shared the recipe of the delicacy with Twitteratis.

The tweet which has garnered 3.5 thousand likes so far had received a mixed response

While some said "beef is not Kerala's culture", others termed the recipe 'a match made in heaven".

Dr Vireandta Jilowa wrote, "Surprised to see it, that beef is being consumed despite BJP government in the Centre."

"We are not slaves of BJP at the Centre....people eat whatever they like in this state, including beef, pork, mutton and fish," another user Tatheesh Vijayakumar wrote.

In 2017, The Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan had ordered that the ministry has notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 to ensure that the sale of cattle is not meant for slaughter purposes.

Regulating animal trade is a state business, but animal welfare is a central subject.

In lieu of this, there was widespread opposition of the order, with many states openly denying accepting the notification.

Porotta and Kappa biriyani with beef are counted as delicacies by Keralites. 

Also Read: The Art of Prepping Meat

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Agencies
May 17,2020

Geneva, May 17: Spraying disinfectant on the streets, as practised in some countries, does not eliminate the new coronavirus and even poses a health risk, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Saturday.

In a document on cleaning and disinfecting surfaces as part of the response to the virus, the WHO says spraying can be ineffective. "Spraying or fumigation of outdoor spaces, such as streets or marketplaces, is... not recommended to kill the Covid-19 virus or other pathogens because disinfectant is inactivated by dirt and debris," explains the WHO.

"Even in the absence of organic matter, chemical spraying is unlikely to adequately cover all surfaces for the duration of the required contact time needed to inactivate pathogens." The WHO said that streets and pavements are not considered as "reservoirs of infection" of Covid-19, adding that spraying disinfectants, even outside, can be "dangerous for human health".

The document also stresses that spraying individuals with disinfectants is "not recommended under any circumstances".

"This could be physically and psychologically harmful and would not reduce an infected person's ability to spread the virus through droplets or contact," said the document.

Spraying chlorine or other toxic chemicals on people can cause eye and skin irritation, bronchospasm and gastrointestinal effects, it adds.

The organisation is also warning against the systematic spraying and fumigating of disinfectants on to surfaces in indoor spaces, citing a study that has shown it to be ineffective outside direct spraying areas.

"If disinfectants are to be applied, this should be done with a cloth or wipe that has been soaked in disinfectant," it says.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of the pandemic that has killed more than 300,000 people worldwide since its appearance in late December in China, can attach itself to surfaces and objects.

However, no precise information is currently available for the period during which the viruses remain infectious on the various surfaces.

Studies have shown that the virus can stay on several types of surfaces for several days. However, these maximum durations are only theoretical because they are recorded under laboratory conditions and should be "interpreted with caution" in the real-world environment.

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