Obesity.

The word obesity has become and epidemic today threatening the entire world especially developing countries.

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on the health of an individual.

Obesity is determined by checking the person's Body Mass Index (BMI).

BMI a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight by the square of the person's height.

When BMI of an individual is over 30 kg/m², with the range 25–30 kg/m² defined as overweight.

CAUSES of OBESITY:

Maintenance of a constant body weight requires a balance between energy intake and energy expenditure, and even a slight imbalance in this energy equilibrium can lead to significant changes in body weight over time and may eventually result in obesity.

Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility.

Other factors that may cause Obesity are, Metabolic disorders, certain medicines and even mental illness.

On average, obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.

CLASSIFICATION of OBESITY:

Obesity is a medical condition defined by body mass index (BMI) and further evaluated in terms of fat distribution via the waist–hip ratio and total cardiovascular risk factors.

BMI is closely related to both percentage body fat and total body fat.

In children, a healthy weight varies with age and sex.

Obesity in children and adolescents is defined not as an absolute number but in relation to a historical normal group, such that obesity is a BMI greater than the 95th percentile.
- Any BMI ≥ 35 or 40 kg/m² is severe obesity.
- A BMI of ≥ 35 kg/m² and experiencing obesity-related health conditions or ≥40–44.9 kg/m² is morbid obesity.
- A BMI of ≥ 45 or 50 kg/m² is super obesity.BMI is defined as the subject's weight divided by the square of their height and is calculated as follows.
  
  ${\mathrm {BMI}}={\frac {m}{h^{2}}}$
  
  where m and h are the subject's weight and height respectively.
  
  BMI is usually expressed in kilograms per square meter, resulting when weight is measured in kilograms and height in meters.

Use of Neutraceuticals in Obesity:

A Nutraceutical is a pharmaceutical-grade and standardized nutrient.

With a global increase in the prevalence of obesity, both nutrition and exercise play key roles in obesity prevention and control.

Natural product (nutraceutical) interventions are currently being investigated on a large-scale basis as potential treatments for obesity and weight management.

Functional, health-enhancing foods, or nutraceuticals, are food-type products that influence specific physiological functions in the body.

This function provides benefits to health, well-being, or performance beyond regular nutrition, and products of this nature are marketed and consumed for these value- added properties.

A convergence of public events on a global scale has placed obesity at the forefront of food policies and corporate strategies.

While it has generated innumerable conferences and an entire low carbohydrate food passion in the short run, its real promise is in long term proven product development of foods that are demonstrated to functionally impact obesity — or functional foods for obesity control.

Nutraceuticals, sometimes referred as ― functional food, have caused heated debate because they blur the traditional dividing line between food and medicine.

When food is being cooked or prepared using “scientific intelligence” with or without the knowledge of how or why it is being used, then the food is called as “functional food”.

Thus, functional foods provide the body with the required amount of vitamins, fats, proteins, carbohydrates necessary for healthy survival.

When functional food aids in the prevention and/or treatment of disease(s)/disorder(s) other than deficiency conditions like anemia, then it is called a nutraceutical.

Thus, a functional food for one consumer can act as a nutraceutical for another.

Examples of nutraceuticals include fortified dairy products (milk is such a nutrient as one of its natural ingredients, casein, is a pharmaceutical) and citrus fruits (orange juice is also a nutrient since its constituent ascorbic acid is a pharmaceutical).

The following neutraceuticals have been evaluated successfully for use in treatment of Obesity.

CURCUMIN:

Turmeric, derived from the plant Curcuma longa, is a gold colored spice commonly used in the Indian subcontinent for health care, preservation of food, and as a yellow dye for textiles.

Curcumin is the pigment imparting the yellow color to turmeric.

Curcumin may be a useful phytochemical for attenuating obesity-induced inflammation and obesity-related metabolic complications. For general use including weight loss, most practitioners recommend it.

Capsaicin:

A biologically active ingredient found in red chili peppers.

Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as a secondary metabolite by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against certain herbivores and fungi.

Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, odorless, and crystalline to waxy compound.

Several studies have shown potential benefits of capsaicin for treating obesity and insulin resistance in animal models and clinical studies

Conjugated linolenic acid (CLA)

It is found primarily in the seeds of flax, and nut oils, as well as fish, and more readily in poultry eggs.

CLA is very sensitive to temperature change and should not be used to cook food.

It should rather be administered in its original state in salad dressings or taken as a therapeutic dosage.

Psyllium fiber is extracted from the husks of its seeds.

These seeds are used commercially for the production of mucilage

It has been implicated in the reduction of low density lipoprotein levels in humans.

Minolest is a mixture of psyllium fiber and guar gum, and was administered in a randomized placebo control study.

Patients who received Minolest, revealed improvement of overall cholesterol and LDL levels as compared with the placebo group.

Momordica Charantia:

It is found in Southeast Asia, and in sub-tropical areas of South and Central America, respectively.

The active agents within MC contain both antiviral and antidiabetic properties.

It has been implicated in the reduction of adiposity in mice, lowering lipoprotein levels, and as well lowering blood glucose in streptozotocin-induced rats and human participants as well.

Resveratrol:

A polyphenolic compound found in the skin of grapes and related food products, has been shown to prevent a number of diverse pathologic processes, including CVD, cancer, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

In a recent study by Sinclair et al., resveratrol ingestion was associated with the reduction in mean systolic blood pressure, leptin levels, systemic markers of inflammation, plasma glucose, and insulin increased energy expenditure.

Flavonoids:

They belong to polyphenol subclass, widely distributed in plants, and in the (diet fruits, vegetables), and certain beverages (including tea, coffee, fruit juices, and wine) and they exhibit a variety of health benefits.

The anti-inflammatory properties of flavonoids have been extensively studied to establish and characterize their potential utility as therapeutic agents in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Citrus flavonoids in animals decrease plasma lipid levels, improve plasma lipid levels, improve glucose tolerance, and attenuate obesity. They reduce hepatic levels of the mRNA for stearoyl CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1), leading to repression of hyperlipidemia.

Ginger Components:

The two major pungent and structurally similar compounds of ginger, 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol, have potent anti inflammatory activities and can improve diabetes and insulin resistance.

The combination of Indian gooseberry and ginger lead to significant reduction in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, and increase in serum HDL cholesterol levels.

Caralluma fimbriata:

It is an edible cactus, used by tribal Indians to suppress hunger, quench thirst, and enhance endurance.

It is a traditional Indian famine food.

The key phytochemical ingredients in Caralluma are pregnane glycosides, flavone glycosides, megastigmane glycosides, bitter principles, saponins, and various other flavonoids.

The appetite suppressing action of Caralluma could be attributed to the pregnane glycosides, which are particularly rich in plants belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family.