Life choices with obesity

Reducing the Proportion of Adults with Obesity

I. Introduction

1. This section will review existing studies on obesity, the health risks associated with obesity, populations disproportionately affected by obesity, interventions that can be adopted to reduce Prevalence, and strategies to maintain weight loss and avoid weight regain.

2. Obesity is a global concern owing to the cumulative increase in the budgetary allocation to the support for comorbidities associated with obesity.

3. Efforts at the policy and healthcare interventions to lower the prevalence rates involve integrating technology to help affected individuals keep up with weight loss programs, educating populations on healthy eating habits, and treatments for the morbidly obese.

4. For a successful reduction of the proportion of obese adults, obesity should be controlled in the early stages of adulthood.

II. PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY

1. PREVALENCE

· The rates of being overweight or obese is a global concern with similarly high rates in population segments, such as women who are married and those who are educated.

· The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 2 billion people and 600 adults were obese in 2014.

· The Prevalence of obesity in economically developed countries is more prevalent even though the prevalence rates in developing countries are projected to increase between 2005 and 2030.

2. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PREVALENCE

· Individuals who are obese with Body Mass Index (BMI) ? 30 kg/m² are more prone to the identified obesity comorbidities.

· In rural areas of America, prevalence rates are 3.6 – 7% higher than in urban areas due to a lack of proximity to medical facilities.

· In addition to limited access in rural areas, cultural factors also contribute to the higher prevalence rates of obesity in rural areas across the globe.

· The transfer of western and urban culture in developing countries has also been attributed to the adoption of unhealthy dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles that have caused and increased the Prevalence of obesity in such countries.

· Part of the obese population is the population that has lost weight and struggles to maintain weight loss.

· Men in rural areas are more unlikely to exercise than rural women.

· Men in rural areas exhibit more masculine properties and view seeking help and health promotion strategies as a weakness.

· Current health status and existing stress levels are critical for knowing the actual effects of interventions since environmental and genetic factors play a major role

3. RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY

· Obesity is associated with comorbidities including diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and breathing disorders

· Obesity hurts the quality of life of an individual due to the associated challenges such as respiratory diseases, among other health challenges.

· There is a high premature mortality rate among obese people.

III. INTERVENTIONS

1. TECHNOLOGIAL INTERVENTIONS

· Mobile health interventions with internet-enabled devices, such as tablets, facilitate efficient administration of individually-tailored coaching, time-unlimited feedback, environment-specific health behavior change programs, and support.

· Training obese individuals on the internet and technological devices to create the capacity to use technology interventions remotely.

· Low-intensity interventions can be delivered through internet technology, integration of behavioral self-regulation strategies, and self-weighing to monitoring for scalable and flexible interventions.

· Low-intensity technology-induced behavioral weight-loss interventions are highly agile and can be implemented in rural areas with adequate training.

· Exercise programs can also be disseminated using digital formats, such as DVDs, to help with exercise regimen and motivation.

2. BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR WEIGHT LOSS MAINTENANCE

· Behavioral interventions are related to self-monitoring to determine the level of exercise or calories taken daily.

· Provide intensive behavioral counseling.

· Behavior-based weight-loss interventions in adults with obesity can lead to clinically significant improvements.

· Pharmacotherapy conducted along behavioral interventions has a greater impact on weight loss and maintenance for one to years than behavioral interventions.

· Primary care clinician involvement in limited interactions with participants in group-based interventions conducted by lifestyle coaches or dietitians to reinforce intervention messages through brief counseling is formative for weight loss.

3. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT IN YOUNG ADULTS

· Obesity cases are common in the teen stages. They could be the onset of obesity, but beginning healthy eating habits and exercise could prevent the development of obesity or its onset later in life.

· Young adults may be sent a short message service (SMS) text message in the morning to remind them that having a nutritious breakfast is important for healthy weight maintenance.

· Common enablers towards maintaining a healthy weight include self-regulation skills, education and awareness, practicing portion control, and positive social and environmental support.

IV. WEIGHT LOSS IMPACT AND MANAGEMENT

· Practice and maintenance of healthy behavioral patterns during young adulthood have been associated with long-term health benefits to individuals and cost benefits to society.

· A 5% loss in weight was associated with a 15% relative reduction in premature mortality.

· Weight loss also facilitates easier management of obesity comorbidities and minimizes the risk of their occurrence.

· Pharmacotherapy conducted along behavioral interventions has a greater impact on weight loss and maintenance for one to years than behavioral interventions.

· Practicing long-term lifestyle changes is essential to increase the probability of successful long-term weight loss.

· Adapting to sizable dietary portions and integrating physical activity into the daily routine be highly effective.

References

Ambak R, Nor, NSM, Puteh N, et al. The effect of weight loss intervention program on health-related quality of life among low-income overweight and obese housewives in the My BFF@home study. BMC Women’s Health. 2018;18. doi:10.1186/s12905-018-0591-3

Batsis JA, Petersen CL, Clark MM, et al. Feasibility and acceptability of a technology-based, rural weight management intervention in older adults with obesity. BMC Geriatrics. 2021;21. doi:10.1186/s12877-020-01978-x

Eisenhauer CM, Brito FA, Yoder AM, et al. Mobile technology intervention for weight loss in rural men: Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2020;10(4). doi:10.1136/BMJopen-2019-035089