Biography
Biography: Fatima Irfan
Abstract
Obesity is a multi-factorial disorder, recognized as a major health problem by World Health Organization (WHO), Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and National Institute of Health (NIH). It increases the risk of several debilitating and deadly diseases hence decreasing the quantity and length of life. Body Mass Index (BMI) is the estimation of the body fat. As BMI increases, so does blood pressure, blood sugar, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol. These changes translate into the risk of heart strokes, CVD, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Poor dietary intake, sedentary behavior, genetics, high demand of convenience and processed food at an early age can lead to a greater probability of developing metabolic and endocrinal syndrome, insulin resistance and future complication in pregnancy. According to a study at Harvard, worldwide rate of obesity has already doubled since 1980, affecting 200 million adults, under 3000 million women and 43 million children (since 2010). According to another study at Rand Institute, obesity is a higher risk factor for chronic diseases than living in poverty, smoking and drinking. Approximately 300,000 people die per annum in USA. Obesity and its association linked with chronic diseases harms virtually for every aspect of life and health. It isn’t necessarily a permanent condition, an approach to healthy diet; exercise along with educating the individual the skill to make better choices can lead to weight loss and ultimately longer healthier and happier life.