- 10/10/2025
- Nutrition
- Isabelle Giroud
Obesity
Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease characterized by excess body weight, defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m². It is one of the main public health problems in the world.
The complications of obesity can affect almost every organ and system in the body. Notable among these are diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Another alarming complication is metabolic hepatic steatosis (MetHS), more commonly known as "fatty liver," which, according to the Catalan Association of Liver Patients, affects 3 out of every 10 people, although they may not know it because it is a silent disease. However, if left untreated, it can lead to serious illnesses that cause premature death, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. In addition, 70% of diabetic patients suffer from fatty liver disease.
But it's not all bad news!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), when detected early, obesity and its most frequent complications can be prevented or reversed in a large number of cases. With small changes in our lifestyle habits, we will reduce the risk of developing these diseases, improve our quality of life, save on healthcare resources and costs, and decrease sick leave.
What are we waiting for? It is everyone's responsibility to fight obesity, for both individual and collective benefit!
These are the three pillars of obesity prevention:
1. A balanced and varied diet:
- Let's avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, and refined sugars like white or brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and white flour.
- Let's embrace vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruit (in moderation), whole-wheat bread, lean proteins (chicken, turkey, rabbit, fish), and unsaturated fats.
- Let's eat smaller, more frequent portions to avoid excessive calorie intake.
- Don't hesitate to consult a professional who can provide personalized guidance to help you achieve your goal!
2. Regular physical activity:
It is recommended to do an average of 150 minutes of exercise per week, such as walking, swimming, running, or aerobics.
Physical exercise helps control weight, improves cardiovascular health, and reduces LDL cholesterol levels and stress.
We should avoid a sedentary lifestyle because it increases weight and the risk of thromboembolism.
It is recommended to do small physical activities every hour, such as walking, climbing stairs, or stretching.
3. Sleep habits:
Sleep helps maintain the proper functioning of our metabolism, reducing stress and accelerating metabolism. Sleeping between 7 and 9 hours per night promotes the balance of hormones that control hunger: Leptin, or the "satiety hormone," increases when we sleep well, while Ghrelin, or the "hunger hormone," increases when we sleep little.
