Obesity
Overview
Obesity is a term to describe someone with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30kg/m2, it is common in the UK, and it is estimated that 1 in every 4 adults is classified as obese. Obesity significantly increases the risk of a variety of health conditions including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, respiratory problems, certain cancers, osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, reducing body weight is crucial for obese individuals to lower their risk of these conditions alongside the many mental and physical health benefits associated with losing weight.
Physical Activity & Obesity
Physical activity is important for weight loss as it increases metabolic rate, which results in increased energy expenditure and a negative energy balance. For those who find dieting difficult, increasing physical activity levels is an effective way to lower BMI, and, alongside weight loss, physical activity provides a range of health benefits that will improve quality of life.
The Benefits of Physical Activity for Obesity
There are many benefits of being physically active if you are obese, including:
- Assisting with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight
- Helping to managing your blood pressure.
- Improving cholesterol levels to help protect against problems like heart disease
- Improving your circulation
- Lowering the risk of nerve damage
- Helping to maintain muscle mass, strength, power, and balance, which can improve physical function and independence
- Helping your joints and flexibility
Physical activity benefits your mind as well as your body. It is proven to reduce stress levels and improve low mood, and give you energy and help you sleep better, as well as improving your memory.
There isn’t one type of activity that’s best for everyone who is classed as obese. It can take a variety of forms because physical activity is multidimensional. It’s about finding what works for you as an individual.
How do we Help Obesity?
KiActiv® Health is a digital service that provides people with a personalised understanding of their everyday physical activity to empower behaviour change in the context of their health and capacity, enabling people to make the right choices for them.
In the context of obesity, understanding how physical activity impacts energy expenditure and metabolic rate resulting in weight loss is key to self-management.
Crucial to this understanding is that physical activity is more than just exercise and sport, and that every move you make counts. Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure and, as such, it is important that all of the movement in our lifestyles are accounted for – not just exercise.
Indeed, for many people who are classed as obese, physical activity is something that is often dreaded or feared, and there is a common misconception that for physical activity to be valuable it must be vigorous. As such, understanding that physical activity is more than just exercise and sport, and that every move matters, is vital for empowering effective self-management. So, for individuals who are obese, focusing on movements they enjoy or feel comfortable with is likely to result in sustained behaviour change.
Moving away from exercise to personalised, everyday physical activity is essential in the management of obesity, as it opens the therapy window to ~112 hours/week. This can feel more accessible to individuals who are obese, and this raised awareness and understanding of everyday physical activity is a key factor in increasing motivation to create healthier habits.
Here at KiActiv®, we have worked with patients who are obese in order to manage their weight and empower individuals to self-manage their health and improve their physical activity in a personalised way. As such, KiActiv®Health provides an accessible option for everyone.
Client Quotes
“It has made me healthier (lost 2 stones) and helped me realized that even small movement helps in the overall.” – 36, Male, Obesity
“My weight has gone down a bit more – 25 lbs I’ve lost now since I started.” – 65, Female, Obesity & Hypertension
“It has reassured me that all movement is important to my health and does not have to be classified as “exercise” to be of benefit.” – 76, Female, Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes & Chronic Pain
“Seeing my results and how I have improved has been so motivating, I really want to keep doing better. I feel fitter, healthier and very happy.”- 57, Female, Obesity, Hypertension & Prediabetes
“I feel like I’m definitely in better nick than when I started, about a stone lighter at least, I feel more energetic and energised.” – 44, Male, Obesity, Arthritis & Crohn’s Disease
“I’ve lost weight and I feel fitter… I’m quite pleased with where I’ve gotten.” – 60, Male, Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes
“Pleased how much it has raised my awareness of my movement and how much I’m eating. Massive benefit for me.” – 65, Female, Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes
“There is no doubt that this innovation of activity compared to exercise is fab and it’s brought a whole window of light into my health.” – 68, Male, Obesity &Type 2 Diabetes
“I have lost a little weight, totalling 4kg. The device reinforced what I probably knew about calories – intake and expenditure – but the daily reminder helped me take action in two ways – reduce calorie intake (particularly reducing alcohol) and try to exercise more.” – 67, Male, Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes
“I’m more focused on how much I move in a day. I feel a direct benefit in my physical and mental health when I achieve my movement goals. I’m happier, lighter and more positive than I was at the start of the programme.” – 44, Male, Obesity, Crohn’s Disease & Arthritis
