OBESITY

Globally, overweight and obesity are now associated with more deaths than underweight caused by starvation or disease. This is an unprecedented situation that affects all high and middle-income countries like Canada. This mortality is explained by the fact that obesity is a complex risk factor for chronic diseases and is associated with a number of socio-economic determinants.

Obesity is now a public health issue as important as smoking since it leads to an increase in coronary and cardiovascular diseases, several cancers, type 2 diabetes, and a number of other complications (joint problems, breathing difficulties, sleep disturbances, etc.). Research has shown that in 2011, the number of medical consultations for obese people was 13% higher than for people of normal weight and they were 94% more likely to spend the night in the hospital!

There are many scientific studies that have demonstrated a clear statistical correlation between genetic inheritance and obesity. Thus, children born to “normal” or thin parents have less than a one in ten chances of developing the disease. If one of the parents is obese, the risk increases to four chances out of ten and it reaches eight chances out of ten if both parents are obese.

A few isolated cases are caused by a single defective gene altering the metabolism from birth and almost certainly leading to severe obesity. However, scientists have identified tens of genes that can induce a certain predisposition to the disease. These genetic particularities can combine and be aggravated by other lifestyle factors.

Overall, it is currently estimated that the role of heredity in obesity is around 40 to 50%. Gene therapies are being studied to cure some cases linked to a single genetic mutation. However, it is still far too early to fully understand and, even more so, be able to treat all the genetic factors associated with the most common cases..

Lack of exercise has a definite impact on the obesity rate, either in addition to genetic factors, or because of age or other situational factors. As soon as our body receives more energy than it consumes, it transforms the excess food into fat that it stores in adipose tissue. In order not to gain or lose weight, it is therefore necessary to maintain the balance between the energy that we absorb and that which we spend.

To maintain optimal health, adults aged 18 to 64 should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per week. Unfortunately, only 15% of Canadians meet or exceed this minimum quota.

Although famines continue to hit certain regions of the world hard, North America is going through an era of nutritional overabundance linked to the industrialization of the agri-food sector.

Encouraged by marketing and advertising, this overabundance translates into excessive overconsumption.

• The continuous snacking of salty and sweet products rich in simple carbohydrates and fat does not produce a satiety effect. Result: we want more.
• The wide variety of food products available on the market also disrupts our satiety mechanism. Seduced by the appeal of new flavors, we no longer necessarily stop eating when our energy needs are met. Result: we eat too much.
• The trend for “light” products is misleading. These foods low in fat but also exceptionally low in protein and loaded with sweeteners create a real “addiction”. Result: we always consume more!

It is common for people suffering from obesity to have had a childhood or adolescence marked by socio-emotional deficiencies and psychic traumas leading, a few years later, to eating disorders. These cannot be permanently eliminated without addressing their psychological causes.

Finally, as we have previously seen, severe obesity is often linked to genetic factors, but also to complex pathologies such as metabolic or hormonal disorders. The combination of all these factors makes losing weight and maintaining it extremely difficult for people struggling with the acute stages of this disease.