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Currently, in Mexico 3 out of every 4 people are obese or overweight, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2022 (Ensanut)but contrary to popular belief, the treatment for this goes beyond diet.
Monday is the World Obesity Day, a chronic disease that is currently one of the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
And, beyond being an aesthetic concern or a simple question of will, it is a health problem as it is a chronic disease conditioned by multiple factors. These range from genetic, to mental and physiological, according to Dr. Verónica Vázquez, a clinical psychologist attached to the Clinic of Obesity and Eating Disorders from the Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition.
However, a large number of people living with obesity and overweight They do not go to the doctor to treat it because it is perceived that they are this way due to lack of effort, which has generated a harmful stigma “that burdens patients with a deep guilt complex that leads them to feel ashamed, discouraged and distance themselves from professionals.” that could provide them with adequate support,” the doctor warned.
Why can’t obesity and overweight be treated with diet alone?
Losing weight does not only depend on having the willpower to follow a diet or exercise, so “it is essential to add interventions focused on improving the weight and health of patients; the constant research and development of new molecules will be essential for the multidisciplinary treatment of this disease,” commented Claudio Fiorentini, medical director of obesity at Lilly, through a press release.
The complexity of metabolism, genetic, psychological and environmental factors significantly influence a person’s ability to sustainably maintain a healthy weight.
That is why the treatment has to consider all the causes and aspects that had to do with a person reaching a certain weight. In fact, for specialists, the obesity It is a chronic and multifactorial disease, which deserves to be treated like diabetes or cancer.
“It is a very complex disease that has various causes. No patient is the same as another, even within the same family; Not everyone gains weight for the same reasons, even if they share genetics, which is a factor that does contribute to the predisposition that a person may have to gain a few kilos. So it is very important that we understand that the diagnosis has to go beyond the control of excess fat in the body and include the functional aspects of the person, mental aspects and of course, physical aspects,” Vázquez emphasized.