Since 1975, the cases of obesity around the world have tripled, according to the World Health Organization. This increase represents a warning for the entire population since obesity is a disorder that increases the risk of premature death due to excess body fat levels. Obesity is reflected in the increase in weight with respect to height and can be measured with the Body Mass Index (BMI), this is a simple indicator that shows the relationship between the two. Next, Dr. Jesus Rocca, endocrinologist at Clinica Ricardo Palma, will give us more information.

Formula to measure BMI: Weight in kilos / Height in meters squared

It can be said that there is obesity when the BMI is above 30

Why being obese or overweight is bad for your health?

A person with obesity significantly increases the risk of suffering the following diseases:

• Diabetes mellitus type 2
• Cardiovascular disease (such as myocardial infarction, stroke, among others)
• Fatty Liver Disease (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis or liver cirrhosis)
• Sleep apnea
• Malignant neoplasms associated with insulin resistance

Why chubby children and/or babies should not be considered healthy?

In the past it was thought that a child or baby gaining weight was healthy. However, nowadays, it is known that the consequences of being overweight or obese can generate serious consequences and even more so if they are small, because, in addition to presenting health problems, they can have physical, social and emotional complications that prevent them from developing in their environment. Therefore, prevention is very important even before the baby is born, since the mother’s womb.

Has obesity increased during the pandemic?

According to Dr. Jesus Rocca, during the pandemic, 60% to 80% of the population has gained weight. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary habits, stress, as well as the excessive use of corticosteroids (often self-medicated).

What would be the most frequent complications that obese people may have if they suffer from Covid-19?

An obese person is a pro-inflammation individual by itself. Therefore, if they become infected with COVID, they have a higher risk of suffering complications, since the inflammatory phenomena increase markedly, being even more serious if the affected person has other comorbidities such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer.

It is important to remember that obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder and, therefore, strictly speaking there would be no such thing as healthy obese. Any person with excess weight should be evaluated to rule out any metabolic alteration and correct it later.

Dr. Jesus Rocca
Endocrinologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma