Obesity - Causes and Prevention | Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare

Obesity Preventive Tips

March 01, 2022

World Obesity Day is observed annually on March 4, where the World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for reducing the obesity crisis by encouraging people who suffer from obesity to take part in safe solutions to weight loss, lifestyle change, and weight maintenance.

According to WHO, worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. In Saudi Arabia, one in three adults suffer from obesity, and at least one in 10 have morbid obesity.

What is Obesity?

Obesity involves having an excess of body fat which can increase risk of diseases such as diabetes, some types of cancer, high blood pressure and heart problems

What causes Obesity?

Obesity can have a number of causes which include hormones, genetics, metabolism, and behaviors. The main cause is consuming more calories than what you burn in your regular day-to-day activities. When this occurs, the body tends to store these additional calories as body fat. Being inactive, or leading a sedentary lifestyle while also overeating can lead to weight gain and eventually reaching a weight level classified as obesity.

What factors put you at risk of obesity?

There are many risk factors for obesity including age, lifestyle habits, pregnancy, quitting smoking, and stress.

How is obesity diagnosed?

To diagnose obesity medically, a physician will review your health history, and do a general physical exam, and check for any current health issues. The physicians will also check your waist circumference and also your Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI a calculation that takes into account your weight and height, and if you have a BMI of 30 or higher, you are categorized as obese.

What are the prevention and treatment options for obesity?

Decrease the number of calories you eat, Increase the number of calories you burn, and increase physical activity and exercise. The best and healthiest way to lose weight is to decrease the number of calories you eat and increase the number of calories you burn. Decrease the number of calories you eat, Increase the number of calories you burn, and increase physical activity and exercise. Your body does not gain weight when the amount of calories in the food you eat is equal to the amount of energy your body needs and uses.

If you eat more calories than your body needs, the extra calories are stored as body fat. Every 9 extra calories are stored as 1 gram of body fat.

If you eat a 900 calorie item of food when your body already has taken in the calories it needs for that day, those 900 calories are stored as 100 grams of fat. 100 grams of body fat is almost a quarter of a pound (0.113 kg).

Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins and fiber and low in calories. A small apple has about 50 calories. You should eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want.

Ask your health care provider to help you find a goal weight. You should also ask your health care provider to help you find out how much energy your body needs and how many calories you need to cut to reach your goal weight.

Exercising more is also essential, as the goal of exercising for weight loss is to burn more calories. Exercise also helps you prevent disease, reduce stress and strengthen your muscles. The number of calories you burn depends on how often, how long and how intense your activities are

Are there any surgical treatments at JHAH for obesity?

At Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH), we are pleased to offer a number of effective measures that can help you reduce your body mass index (BMI), and live a more confident and fulfilling life.

Our bariatric surgical team offers two types of procedure to help reduce your weight – gastric bypass and vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Both procedures are performed under general anesthetic and use minimally invasive laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery.

Please note that while bariatric surgery is highly effective in helping to tackle obesity and reduce weight, it is not intended as a substitute for a balanced diet and physical exercise. Instead, it is a way of empowering you to adopt a healthier long-term lifestyle. To help you achieve this, our surgical procedures are complemented by expert guidance on managing your weight after surgery.

To receive surgery, you must be at least 18 years old, a registered patient at a JHAH facility and be able to live and move around independently.

Bariatric surgery for network registered (MDF) patients

Did you know that Saudi Aramco employees and their dependents, who are registered with a JHAH network provider (MDF), can request to have their bariatric surgery performed at JHAH?

Do you want to know more? You can request a call-back from our team by filling out this form and we will walk you through the process and eligibility criteria.