Common views such as: ‘someone who does nothing does not use energy’, ‘being overweight is the person’s own fault’ and many more are prevalent in society. Yet these comments are far too simplistic. Our body already uses 65% of our daily energy for our metabolism and to rest. Obesity caused by eating too much is often a response to an abnormal environment. Can gastric reduction offer a solution against obesity?
‘He who does nothing uses no energy’
Someone who does not exercise and sits still a lot would appear to use no energy? This reasoning is far too simplistic because we use no less than 65% of our daily energy on our metabolism and to rest . We invest tons of energy to keep our organs in shape and our body temperature good. Exercising or exercising does ensure that we use ‘extra’ energy and maintain our fitness, but it is not true at all that we would not use any energy by doing nothing. It is better to say that ‘anyone who does not do extra sport or exercise does not use any extra energy’. This also immediately reveals the danger for people who ‘think they are too fat’ and want to diet. If someone has less fat reserves to live on and still wants to follow a diet, the body can become exhausted (e.g. also due to excessive exercise) and lose too much energy that the body normally uses to maintain the daily energy required.
‘Overweight is the person’s own fault’
Indulging yourself several times (in the sense of, for example, excessive snacking) can quickly provide that extra size. Or you can just stuff yourself completely and ignore your weight. But to actually say that becoming fat is completely your own choice is not correct. Being seriously overweight can normally never be a conscious choice because being too fat is also unhealthy for the body and someone who is deliberately overweight causes damage to the body, for example, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Being fat is often described as ‘a response to an abnormal environment’ .
When someone has become really overweight, this often turns out to be a manifestation of an unhappy or difficult period in life, in which eating was a kind of reaction. That person has stopped caring about beauty ideals for a while and indulged in binge eating for a while. In addition, someone with Cushing’s syndrome (being fat for a medical reason) cannot help himself or herself from gaining weight.
Obesity is also stimulated in society by the abundance of high-calorie food. Let us also think of the many snack bars, chip shops, Quicks and McDonald’s where the grease literally flies around our ears.
The fact that high-fat food can cause obesity and is generally unhealthy for the body has already led to the introduction of a tax in Denmark, for example (2011).
‘Overweight can be effectively controlled by a stomach reduction’
Even though it is true that a gastric ring or a reduction can be useful to keep excess weight at bay, too little account is taken of the negative consequences of such an operation. Up to 40% experience complications (pain, cramps, etc.) after the operation. That one operation also means that you will have to adjust your eating behavior throughout your life and ensure that you do not take too large bites, for example. What is true is that gastric reduction can continuously slow down the diseases associated with obesity (e.g. diabetes). But if it is possible , it is better that you try to avoid excess weight through a healthy diet and exercise.