The Complexities of Obesity Beyond Skin-Deep
When we talk about being obese, a lot of people say they like having a little skin more to their current one, while some people want to get Skinner and others just like their current body size and weight. That said, I was seeing a show on TLC today titled Family by the ton, and I saw a man that was weighed over 700lbs. That is a lot of weight for a person and such person is surely obese.
When I was watching the show, I saw that the man was thoroughly cleaning his body part to prevent moisture. This act might look normal but actually, there is something to learn from it. When people have excess skin, weight and fat tissues, their body overlaps creating folds and this can cause the body to be moist allowing for the person to suffer from candida infection (Candidiasis) which is a fungal infection caused by the yeast Candida which is normally found in the skin. This can lead to the irritation of the skin leading to the bacteria infection cellulitis.
First when we look at obesity especially people who are morbidly obese, there are a lot of things to be considered such as what are the contributing factors making them obese, what triggered their obesity, mental health factors, sleep schedules, and daily activities. A lot of people who become obese have sedentary lifestyle such as spending their entire day playing video games. Video games are great because I play them sometimes but abusing it makes it detrimental to our health. The same thing applies with food, and other things. Dose makes the poison, and everything can be toxic when taken in excess.
In the video, the person was consuming lots of junk food, like burger, and was adding salt to it. Normally, burgers are salty, also the person consumed lots of beverages. You must have heard the word cabbage in, cabbage out. You see, if you unable to burn as much calories as you ingest, while not doing any form of physical activity can lead to being obese. Obesity falls into the bucket of chronic non-communicable disease which also includes type-2 diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease and so on and they are diseases that stem from what we eat and their lifestyle.
When a person is obese, it is not a death sentence but then adjustments need to be done to suit them both at home and in the hospital. When someone has such weight, performing certain screenings like MRI can be difficult, so finding alternatives including using machines for scanning large animals just as NHS chiefs turn to Zoo for help MRI to scan obese Scots.
One mistake a lot of people usually make is saying that obesity causes chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes, and high blood pressure but in reality, insulin resistance causes these metabolic abnormality but some people can be obese and still be metabolically healthy but most people who are obese have some degree of insulin resistance which then develops into type 2 diabetes. Obesity is put simply a chronic systemic endocrinological disease that affects all our body.
Addressing the complexities of obesity requires a holistic understanding, considering factors beyond mere appearance. As individuals and societies, fostering healthier habits and dispelling misconceptions about obesity is key to promoting overall well-being.
Reference
Family by the ton
https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/skin-disorders/fungal
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7553667/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4259868/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10667048/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7967430/
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases