Obesity in America
Posts tagged Respiratory Problems
Bariatric Solutions For Severe Obesity
Sep 4th
For many people exercises and routine diets do not work, and they are unable to achieve any significant weight loss. Their efforts to lose weight are hindered by health problems such as hypertension, arthritis, hypertension, thyroid dysfunction and respiratory problems. Obesity is a problem that can have an adverse effect on an individual’s health and may reduce his/her life expectancy. The number of obese people is on the rise today and taking into consideration our fast-paced lifestyle this number is expected to rise in the coming years. If you have been finding it difficult to lose weight and have exhausted all weight loss methods, bariatric solutions may be the answer. Bariatric is a branch of medicine that offers effective and long term solutions to morbidly obese people.
Most of the hospitals that specialize in providing comprehensive and individualized bariatric solutions to meet their patient’s needs use bariatric EMR software. This software helps them record details of the patient’s medical history, medication prescribed, tests that are conducted and their results, any allergies and adverse reactions he/she may have to drugs, and weight and other medical conditions.
Bariatric EMR software is also used in clinics where the focus is on options such as offering dietary counseling to the patient along with regular monitoring and medication. This software is extremely user-friendly and health care professionals are able to enter detailed information about the patient’s condition in the system from anywhere. The patient’s primary physician is aware of any changes made to these details. Test results can be uploaded from any location and it becomes easier for the healthcare professionals and physicians to view them before they recommend a course of treatment. In fact some software makes it extremely convenient for the patient to enter their personal details without actually having to go through the clinic’s admin system.
For patients considering bariatric surgery it is important to keep in mind that this weight loss procedure is not just a cosmetic procedure. The focus or ultimate goal of any bariatric surgery is to reduce or eliminate problems that are related to obesity. Surgery is recommended only when your doctor is convinced that non-surgical approaches have not been able to help you reduce weight. Patients also need to be willing to adopt a radically different lifestyle where the focus is primarily on exercise and dietary restrictions. There is also a need to make a commitment to long term treatment and follow-ups.
Why Obesity is a Problem in the United States?
Aug 22nd
In the past twenty years, United States rates of obesity have risen significantly. There are well over 60 million adults and 9 million children in the country who suffer from obesity. Obesity is a serious disease that has extremely serious consequences for a person’s health. It is important for obese people to slim down to a healthier weight.
Obesity is caused by a calorie imbalance resulting from consuming more calories than are being burned by the body. Calorie burn comes from exercise, so people who are not burning enough calories are simply not exercising enough. Genetics and hormones also play a factor, but diet and exercise are still important considerations even in these cases. A person’s eating behavior and exercise routine can be changed, leading to changes a person’s body weight.
The medical community has well established that excess weight increases a person’s risk for a variety of health conditions and diseases, ranging from heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and cancer.
How do physicians determine whether or not a person is obese? Usually, the person’s body mass index (BMI) is calculated, which takes into consideration a person’s weight and height to determine body mass. This is a fairly accurate way to discover the amount of fat in a person’s body, but doesn’t account for large amounts of muscle tone. Muscle weighs more than fat, so although the weight may be higher, that weight is coming from healthy muscle mass. Other ways include using a caliper to measure skin fold thickness, waist circumference, using ultrasounds, waist to hip circumference ratios, MRI, and tomography.
In the US, the obesity epidemic seems to be getting increasingly worse. In 1991, there were only four states with obesity rates of 15-19%, and there were no states with obesity rates above 20%. In 2004, however, these numbers had dramatically changed. Seven states had obesity rates of 15-19%, thirty-three states had obesity rates of 20-24%, and nine states had obesity rates that were more than 25%. Now, obesity rates are even more prevalent.
Over time, we have become a much more sedentary people. No longer working fields or in factories for our families’ survival, we now sit at desks, staring at computer screens for long periods of time. There is increasing pressure to “have it all,” and often, our own health gets pushed aside as we over-schedule our children, stay later and later at work, and finally grab a quick (usually calorie-laden) meal before flopping into bed to begin again the next day. Additionally, we have more fast food restaurants, soft drinks, and pre-packaged foods than ever before, leading us to make choices that negatively impact our lives in order to save time.
We need to take better care of our bodies. A healthy weight is predictive of a healthier body. Physical activity and healthy food choices are the best way to achieve this goal. Don’t save time; save your life.
