Dr. Madhumati

The word obesity in itself isn't a very pleasant sound. Being one of the most common problems in the world, it is become an epidemic in recent years. The best way to deal with it is to control it and to understand the symptoms and causes of obesity, one must know what exactly obesity is. Although there are multiple definitions of obesity, in general, obesity indicates weight that is greater than what is considered healthy. Even though a certain amount of body fat is necessary for storing energy, heat insulation, and shock absorption, an excess amount of body fat leads to obesity.

Causes of Obesity
A person’s weight is determined by a balance between calorie intake and energy expenditure. The body stores the excess calories in the form of body fat. The hormone leptin is responsible for the mechanism of fat regulation. If a person is suffering from leptin deficiency, then he can suffer from obesity. Also, diseases such as hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome contribute severely to obesity. Furthermore, body weight is determined by several factors such as an individual’s genetics, diet, metabolism, environment, culture, and behavior.

Obesity and Associated Health Risks
Obesity is not merely a cosmetic consideration but is also very harmful to a person’s health. Life expectancy is significantly reduced for people with BMI over 40. Obesity leads to insulin resistance which is a pre-diabetes condition that often leads to Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes.Another major health risk of obesity is high blood pressure. Most obese people suffer from hypertension and increase in blood pressure is found more commonly in women than in men as a result of weight gain. Other health risks of obesity are cholesterol, stroke, heart attack and various forms of cancer such as breast and colon cancer.

How is Obesity Diagnosed?
Your doctor will give you a series of tests to confirm if you are obese. He will analyze your medical history taking into account your weight history, eating and exercise habits, your family’s health history, heart rate, and examination of heart, lungs, and abdomen.

Obesity is generally measured by calculating the body mass index (BMI). Body mass index takes into consideration a person’s height and weight as the two determining factors to calculate an individual’s appropriate weight. Body mass index is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms (kg) by their height in meters (m) squared. BMI shows high correlation with body fat content in adults since it exhibits a ratio between weight and height.

A full-grown adult with a BMI ranging from 25-29.9 is considered overweight while an adult with BMI over 30 is considered obese. An individual with BMI ranging from 18.5-24.9 is of normal weight. Waist circumference is measured to know the amount of abdominal or visceral fat stored around your waist. Women with over 35 inches waist circumference and men with over 40 inches waist circumference are prone to high risks of contracting diabetes and heart ailments.

It is a good practice to measure your BMI and Waist circumference once in a year. If they are more than the normal, it is best to consider a physician to get diagnosed with obesity and plan the best treatment option.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Uterine fibroids are benign, muscular growths in the uterine wall which may grow within the wall of the uterus or may get attached to the wall. Uterine fibroids can be of many types depending on their location in the uterus – Subserosal fibroids are found on the outer surface of the uterus, just beneath the serosa which is the outer membrane lining the uterus; submuscosal fibroids are located inside the uterine cavity, beneath the endometrium; intramural fibroids are located inside the muscular wall of the uterus; and pedunculated fibroids grow on small stalks either inside the uterine cavity or on its outer surface.

Many women who have uterine fibroids do not show any symptoms and are often unaware of their existence till they have an ultrasound or medical check-up. But depending on the location and size of the fibroids, they can cause certain symptoms such as:

1. Heavy bleeding during periods and pain
2. Bleeding in between periods
3. Frequent urination due to increased pressure on the bladder
4. Constipation caused by pressure on the rectum
5. Infertility or pregnancy complications
6. Uterine fibroids and infertility

Depending on the location of the fibroid in the uterus and its size, uterine fibroids can negatively affect a woman’s fertility or lead to problems during pregnancy. More often, submucosal uterine fibroids, those that grow inside the uterine cavity and fibroids which are quite large in size (more than 5cm in diameter) cause infertility in women. This is because:

1. Fibroids which are close to the cervix can block the entrance of or reduce the number of sperm that are able to enter the uterus
2. Large fibroids which form near the opening of the fallopian tube in the uterus can block the fertilised egg from entering the uterus thus preventing implantation
3. Submucosal fibroids which grow on the endometrium can reduce the total area available for the zygote to implant or reduce the space inside the uterine cavity thus interfering with normal development of the embryo.
4. Multiple fibroid growths can deprive the endometrium of regular blood flow thus reducing the amount of estrogen received; this can lead to miscarriages in pregnancy as it compromises the structural integrity of the endometrium and as a result it cannot maintain its thickened state required for sustaining a pregnancy.

Most women with uterine fibroids do not experience problems with conceiving, however if you are experiencing fertility issues it is best to consult a doctor to determine if fibroids are causing the problem and pursuing their suggested course of action. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!