World Obesity Day: Explaining 6 possible treatments for losing weight
Here is another ongoing pandemic that nobody talks about. Obesity is among the most common ailments with over one billion people in the world suffering from it. And the worst part is, the tally keeps increasing daily! If untreated, it can be fatal through comorbidities like diabetes, blood pressure, and heart-related problems. On World Obesity Day, let us check out some possible treatments.
Why does this story matter?
More than half of the world population i.e. four billion people will become obese or overweight by 2035, warns a recent report published by the World Obesity Federation. It also reveals that Asia and Africa will have the maximum number of obesity cases, particularly rising among children and young teenagers. The report warns countries to act now or face grave consequences in the future.
Lifestyle changes
A sedentary lifestyle is the primary cause of obesity. Consuming more calories than the recommended daily intake is a direct way to become obese. That said, one should consume a high-fiber diet to prevent unhealthy snacking. However, refrain from crash diets as they do more harm than good. Also, the more active you are, the more calories you burn. Hence, daily exercise is important.
Behavioral changes
Behavioral therapy can help one embark on a physical transformational journey. It involves psychological counseling, wherein a mental health professional assesses the eating habits, patterns, and stressors of the person and charts out a plan to help them control their diet. You can easily pair this with your lifestyle changes to gain the maximum motivation to lose weight.
Weight loss medications
Medical professionals around the world are currently researching and working on releasing medicines to treat obesity. However, on June 4, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Wegovy, an injectable medication that can be taken once per week to manage weight. While they are proven to work, they have many short-term, manageable side effects like gastrointestinal issues.
Surgery
Another way to reverse obesity is to go under the knife, especially when lifestyle changes and medications don't seem to work. Called bariatric or weight loss surgery, it involves changing a part of the stomach or small intestine and truncating the two organs so that the person doesn't eat or consume calories as much as they used to do before.
Hormonal treatment
Hormonal treatment was first discovered during a study to test the effectiveness of surgery as a treatment for obesity. In a study conducted back in 2014, medical professionals found that bariatric surgery impacts gut hormones as well. And if these hormones are harnessed, it can become another non-surgical way to lose weight. This process involves combining certain hormones to help one overcome obesity.
Turning white blood cells into brown cells
We have two types of cells that are responsible for fat and weight management. White blood cells store calories, whereas brown cells burn calories and produce heat. While this will be an effective way to overcome obesity, scientists are still working on ways to brown the white cells without any complications. As per a review, new upcoming genetic tools can come to their rescue.
