Specialists believe that the treatment of obesity is useless if the patient is sure that he has just gained a little weight, even if excess body weight causes serious deviations in health. The fight against excess weight is always a set of measures that give a good result only if the patient himself is strongly interested in success and complies with all the doctor's prescriptions. Today, there are many methods of treating obesity, and they are applied strictly individually, depending on the causes of the appearance of body fat.
What symptoms should we talk about the need for treatment of obesity
The pattern of body fat distribution and some of the symptoms associated with weight gain may suggest to the clinician the reason why the patient is gaining weight, as well as facilitate the choice of treatments for obesity. Most common types of obesity:
- alimentary,
- hypothalamic,
- endocrine.
The alimentary type of obesity usually develops when, for some reason, the patient's energy expenditure is significantly lower than the amount of calories that enters the body with food. When interviewed, the patient usually mentions that several family members suffer from similar obesity, and when analyzing his eating style, it turns out that he regularly overeats. At the same time, as a rule, there is not enough physical activity.
Outwardly, alimentary obesity is manifested by a gradual weight gain, fat deposits are most often uniform or accumulate in the thighs and abdomen. There are no signs of damage to other organs and systems.
Hypothalamic obesity develops quite quickly, it is associated with a provoking factor in the form of damage to the central nervous system due to tumors, infections or injuries. The patient complains of the rapid development of obesity, which is accompanied by the appearance of pronounced stretch marks on the skin. Fat is mainly deposited on the thighs and buttocks, it can hang like a characteristic apron on the stomach, while the skin is dry.
Additional symptoms that help determine the diagnosis and treatment of this form of obesity are sleep disorders and frequent headaches, impaired sweating, and the development of arterial hypertension.
Endocrine type of obesity is also characterized by rapid weight gain, uneven fat deposits on the body, dry skin and a tendency to edema. Additional signs may be striae, hirsutism, gynecomastia.
The danger of untimely treatment of obesity of any type is that excess body weight causes the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system, disorders in the liver, intestines, and pancreas. Obesity provokes an exacerbation of varicose veins, arthritis, the development of diabetes, and becomes a risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease.
Methods used to treat obesity
As a rule, the first stage is considered drug therapy in combination with dietary and lifestyle changes. It should be noted that separate diets, as a rule, do not give a positive result in the treatment of obesity: experts note that a strict diet is stressful for the body, and after its termination, obesity may increase. In addition, fat-burning drugs, which are often used in diets, remove water from the body, which is very harmful.
Liposuction as a method of treating obesity has not received recognition from specialists, since this method removes subcutaneous fat. But harm to the body causes visceral fat, which is not affected by liposuction. This method is good for cosmetic body shaping with small fat deposits. When it comes to the treatment of obesity, the removal of large amounts of fat can lead to serious complications and at the same time leaves rough irregularities on the surface of the body that require further surgical correction.
Surgical methods of treating obesity - bariatric surgery and gastric bypass - have shown a good effect. They are made strictly according to the indications, but they allow you to get rid of obesity in almost 70% or more cases.
Of course, any method of treating obesity must be combined with reasonable physical activity and strict control of the calorie content of the food offered in the daily menu.
Share:
Add a comment