Bariatric Surgery | Gastric Bypass Surgery | Gastric Banding | Obesity | After Surgery

Obesity and being overweight can increase the risk of having cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Excess body fats trigger the release of cytokines. This chemical can damage the inner lining of arteries and may later lead to vascular dysfunction. And as we age we tend to gain weight because of slowed metabolism, unchanged calorie intake and reduced physical activity.

One study predicts a 42% increase in obesity rate by 2050. This number is alarming. Obesity cases blew up over the past century. In the early 1900’s, one in every 150 people is considered obese. By 1971, around 30 to 40 years later, obesity rate has increased to 34%. What could have caused this?

It is important to understand the real cause of obesity. Our diet or what we eat has changed considerably over the past 100 years. Natural or raw foods that are nutritious have given way to processed foods. Some of these foods are altered to appeal to our innate taste for sugar and salt. They may also contain fast releasing carbohydrates that may cause blood glucose to remain high all the time. Insulin may no longer control excess sugar and may not be effective in transporting sugar from the blood onto the body cells.

One solution is to consume a low sugar, low fat and a low carb diet based on the Mediterranean way of eating. A Mediterranean diet consists largely of vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts and seeds. It is high in fiber content as well. Other effective solutions are calorie-intake monitoring and regular exercise or physical activity.