The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sea change in how we live our lives as a society. On a more personal note, many individuals also saw an increase in their weight as the quarantine lockdown resulted in a more sedentary lifestyle.
But more than just a funny anecdote about the effects of the pandemic on our lives, weight gain and obesity can also lead to an increase in several health risks. The disease of obesity increases the risk of comorbidities and doubles the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19, yet people with obesity are stigmatized at work, at home, and in the health care system.
“Obesity negatively impacts every aspect of health, including reproductive and respiratory functions. As a result, there is a higher chance of developing non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers,” explained Dr. Mia Fojas, Endocrinologist, ManilaMed& immediate past president, Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight & Obesity (PASOO). “Obesity negatively impacts an individual’s quality of life and increases the cost of healthcare locally, nationally, and worldwide.”
Learning proper weight management and seeking the help of your doctor will help with managing obesity and improving overall health. According to Dr. Fojas there are two common reasons why a weight loss program fails: Hunger increases when trying to lose weight and Weight regain follows after an intervention is stopped.
Instead of doing weight loss programs on their own, it is recommended to go to a doctor to discuss the right action plan. Both patient and doctor need to fully understand a person’s condition, medical history, eating habits, activity level, and previous weight loss attempts. Patients are then guided by their doctors on a weight loss program tailored to their needs.
The doctor will also review any medicines a patient is taking to determine if they are contributing to weight gain. They will also rule out other causes of obesity that might be treatable, such as thyroid disease.
Driving Change in Obesity is Novo Nordisk’s long-term commitment to improve the lives of people with obesity and change how the world sees, prevents, and treats obesity. As part of this, the company works to build healthier environments; fosters empathy for people with obesity and champion for obesity to become a healthcare priority, andensures people living with obesity have access to evidence-based care.
“Obesity is everybody’s problem. Everybody needs to act. The obesity prevalence rate is alarming, and we need to manage it,” said Dr. Miroslava Guajardo, M.D., Senior Medical Manager, NovoNordisk, Business Area South East Asia.
“Novo Nordisk is launching the first- ever website dedicated to obesity in the Philippines.
Through the Body of Truth, we are empowering patients to make better and wiser choices for their health by providing access to evidence-based information, reliable and accurate resources, and a network of clinics with doctors,” she added.
