Tips to Control Obesity During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Home»Blog»Diabetes Basics » Tips to Control Obesity During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Tips to Control Obesity During the Covid-19 Pandemic

3438 0
obesity
4
(1)

The perils of the existing pandemic are being discussed all across the globe including the consequences of Covid-19 on different aspects of human health. The one factor that is causing concerns in the healthcare industry is obesity.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a condition associated with excessive amounts of fat in the body. It can be triggered due to environmental and external factors. Therefore, can’t be managed alone through diet. A person is diagnosed as obese when he/she has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. The BMI of an individual is calculated by dividing the person’s weight (kilograms) by height (metres).

As we all are aware, obesity and overweight are one of the leading causes for developing health complications including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Therefore, let’s first talk of the categorisation of weight before delving into the factors that cause obesity.

Categorisation of Weight

The weight of a person is generally classified into five categories:

  • Underweight
  • Healthy Weight/Normal Weight
  • Overweight
  • Obesity
  • Severe Obesity

The categorisation of weight completely relies on the body mass index. According to the BMI table:

  • An individual with <18.5 BMI is termed as underweight, whereas 18.5 – 24.9 is considered the ideal BMI or healthy weight.
  • Having a BMI of over 25-29.9 is considered to be overweight. It’s known to be undergoing health complications which can get severe, thus leading to obesity.
  • Obesity is a disease where the individual’s body weight exceeds 30. On the contrary, a person with a BMI greater than 40 is termed to have severe obesity.

obesity

Factors Causing Obesity

One of the ways to combat obesity is by understanding the factors causing it. Once you know the factors, you can eliminate them from the roots. Here are a few factors that cause obesity in an individual:

  • Psychological Factors
    The process of weight management can be difficult if the person is undergoing any stress. In such conditions, it is viable to work on the issues and continue the process.
  • Exercise
    When there is an imbalance between the intake of calories and calorie burn, you can experience weight gain. This is evident in the cases for people who have desk jobs.
  • Sleep Deprivation
    Even sleep deprivation is defined as a cause of obesity. Studies have indicated that people who do not get enough sleep weigh more than people who do.
  • Hormones
    Hormones play a critical role in controlling the function and activity of tissues. In most cases, people with obesity have hormones that do not give the right signal.
  • Genetic Factors
    Even genes in your body can determine if you are more likely to become obese.

How is Obesity Linked to the Current Pandemic?

The current outbreak of coronavirus disease has caused a toll on individuals’ mental health. Various complications including depression, stress, anxiety, and other psychological problems have stemmed out. Such mental health problems have further resulted in disturbed sleep cycles and increased food intake. This is further contributing to obesity in an individual.

Tips to help Reduce Obesity During Lockdown

food

Here are a few tips to reduce obesity during lockdown:

  • Opt for a well-balanced diet
    A healthy diet helps in limiting chronic health risks. Include a lot of leafy and green vegetables, fruits, lentils, nuts, and whole grains. Control your intake of fried items, carbonated drinks, processed or refined foods.
  • Drink a lot of fluids
    Stay hydrated. Drink at least 2-3 litres a day. Also, it is okay to include different variants including buttermilk, juices, curd etc. However, try limiting your intake of tea and coffee.
  • Try to remain active
    Since most of us are working from home, we all are aware of the challenges faced by individuals. Increased snacking, irregular sleep patterns, erratic work schedules, etc. have led to a rise in obesity. Opt for indoor exercises – zumba, jogging, aerobics, and dance – and try doing it for at least 20-3 minutes.
  • Indulge in meditation and yoga
    Do not forget to go for meditation and yoga classes to ensure inner peace and de-stress yourself.

yoga

Read More: Fats for Diabetes: Reasons Why Fat is Good for You

Hence, by adopting healthy lifestyle changes, we can definitely try not to let obesity become the next pandemic! Since obesity has considerably contributed to morbidity, let us all pledge to take the right step in not letting an epidemic and pandemic collide, ever.

Download the BeatO App for more health-related information.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4 / 5. Vote count: 1

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Shahana Khatoon

Shahana Khatoon

Shahana is a Senior Content Writer at BeatO and talks about Health. She's one of those women who feels too much and hence try to express all of it through her writings.

Leave a Reply

Index