Obesity

Introduction

Obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. BMI is a widely accepted indicator of obesity worldwide. However, it does not distinguish between excess muscle, bone mass or amount of fat and its distribution. There is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity (43.0 and 32.3%, respectively) amongst expatriates in UAE (1).

Major Causes of Obesity

Poor diet rich in fats and calories
Sedentary (inactive) lifestyle
Psychological factors such as depression, smoking, steroids.
Genetics can affect how the body metabolizes and stores fat
Growing older leads to a decrease in muscle mass and metabolic rate
Medical conditions such as PCOS, Hypothyroidism, Cushing Syndrome, Osteoarthritis
Sleep deprivation, which leads to hormonal imbalance and the feeling of being hungry, which thereby leads to a craving for more high-calorie foods

Obesity related health risks and their Diagnosis

Overweight and obese persons are at risk of developing additional diseases. Your doctor may also order certain tests to help diagnose obesity as well as obesity-related health risks such as:

Type 2 diabetes
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Cancer
Stroke
Gallbladder disease
Fatty liver disease
High cholesterol
Sleep apnea and other breathing problems
Arthritis
Infertility

Influence of obesity and lifestyle factors on fertility, please click PPT link below.

Increased Health Risk Factors in the UAE - Assessment in the Medical Laboratory

Some basic clinical testing recommendations for overweight and obesity are:

Basic Tests: CBC + Diff, HbA1c, Ferritin, Lipid Profile, Creatinine, Uric Acid, Total Bilirubin, Total Protein, Albumin, GPT, GOT, ALP, CK, Electrolytes, Calcium, Phosphate, TSH, Urine Analysis, Leptin
Cardiovascular Risk Profile: hsCRP, Lp(a), Homocysteine, Lipid Profile basic (Chol, Trig, HDL, LDL, VLDL, Chol/HDL)

Excess Weight and Food Hypersensitivities (IMUPRO TEst)

An IgG food hypersensitivity might lead to a systemic chronic inflammatory condition in your body, leading to a partial blockage of the insulin receptors. If these receptors do not function properly, you are unable to use the sugars in your blood and burn them in your cells to generate energy. As a result, more insulin is produced and will transform the excess sugar into fat. Chronic elevated insulin levels will block the use of the stored fat. As a result, you will have problems to lose weight, even if you restrict calories.

ImuPro test identifies your personal trigger foods that lead to chronic low-grade inflammation. The ImuPro concept consisting of a blood test for IgG antibodies and of personalized diet guidelines helps you to identify these foods. At the same time, it offers you food alternatives to guarantee a balanced diet without any nutritional deficiencies. By avoiding the trigger foods for a certain time, your insulin sensitivity will increase, you will have fewer cravings and automatically reduce your calorie intake.

https://imupro4weightloss.com/

Notes

There are major health risk factors in the UAE which can be easily identified in the clinical laboratory. Please contact the laboratory for any support.

References

Sulaiman N, Elbadawi S, Hussein A, et al. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in United Arab Emirates expatriates: the UAE National Diabetes and Lifestyle Study. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2017;9:88. Published 2017 Nov 2. doi:10.1186/s13098-017-0287-0