Overweight or overweight, both overweight and obese, is a condition characterized by increased fat storage in the body. Obesity is closely related to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, and so on. Obesity can be shown by measuring the Body Mass Index (BMI) or Body Mass Index (BMI). For Asia Pacific, a BMI of 23 kg/m 2 is defined as overweight and 25 kg/m 2 as obese. The way to measure BMI is weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared.
BMI = Body Weight (kg) / Height (m) 2
In addition to body weight, excessive abdominal circumference also raises the risk of cardiovascular disease. For Asians, the safe limit for men's abdominal circumference is 90 cm, while for women it is 80 cm. Here's how to measure the correct abdominal circumference:
- Prepare a measuring tape or tape measure.
- Undress to show belly.
- Place the tape measure / tape measure at navel level.
- Place the meter tip number 0 on the spot at the navel level
- Loop the remaining straps around your stomach and across your torso.
- Make sure the measuring tape / measuring tape is in a horizontal position, not tilted, and not pressing on the skin of the stomach.
- Do not deliberately shrink the stomach.
- Check the number on the tape measure where the 0 meets the last digit on the waist.
- The last number is the size of your stomach circumference.
Reason
- Excess intake
Anything that enters the body, be it food or drink, which contains high calories risks increasing body weight and abdominal circumference. Also pay attention to how to process the food or drink. For example, fried foods generally contain higher calories than when the food is boiled.
- Lack of physical exercise
Lack of physical exercise can cause obesity because the calories that enter the body are not used so that they accumulate as fat. The recommended physical exercise is 30 minutes for 5 days per week.
- Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep can increase the risk of obesity by 3 times. Short sleep patterns cause an increase in ghrelin and a decrease in leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that increases appetite while leptin, on the other hand, signals satiety. This shows that lack of sleep can cause an increase in calorie intake which can increase the risk of obesity.
- genetics
Several theories have been put forward to explain the existence of genes that are prone to cause a person to be overweight.
- Technological and economic development
Technological and economic development affects human physical activity. In this modern era, access to various things can be done only by using a mobile phone and the internet.
- Psychiatric condition
Increased body weight and abdominal circumference are associated with increased anxiety, stress, depression, body dissatisfaction, and hopelessness. When experiencing problems, many of us take it out with food and drink.
acupuncture
The role of acupuncture in obesity starts from reducing appetite, correcting hormonal imbalances which result in improving the body's metabolism, improving sleep quality, reducing stress, to promoting bowel movements.
Acupuncture therapy for obesity that is often used is a needle. More stabbing is done in the area of the stomach and legs. Acupuncture therapy is performed twice a week. Apart from needles, you can also use electrical stimulation, aquapuncture or thread implants.
Target weight loss is 1-2 kg per week. Weight loss should not be too drastic in a short time, because apart from being a health risk, it will also increase the risk of the yo-yo effect , where the weight returns quickly after a drastic reduction. Gradual, steady, and healthy loss to a desired weight is the goal of acupuncture.
Article written by dr. Freddy Julianto, Sp.Ak, MM (Acupuncture Specialist at EMC Pulomas Hospital).