Obesity – an epidemic of the 21st century

AUTHORS : Ignatieva M.A.

RELEVANT UNIVERSITIES : LLC “Center for Energy Information Medicine”, Samara, Russia

YEAR : 2003 | Category : Educational

Obesity is a condition accompanied by an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue in the body and leading to an increase in normal body weight by 20% or more. The reasons for the development of this disease are different. These include: the availability of food and overeating from early childhood, heredity, physical inactivity, dyshormonal state (pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, menopause).

In addition, a number of diseases can lead to an increase in body weight – skull injuries, brain tumors, thyroid disease. There may also be dosage forms of obesity – with an overdose of antidepressants, insulin, glucocorticoids. Why is this pathology dangerous? Numerous prospective studies have convincingly proved a clear connection between an increase in body weight and an increased risk of developing a number of diseases – these are cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis), diseases of the joints and spine.