Obesity and Physiotherapy

Obesity is a condition in which a person’s body fat represents 20% or more of their normal weight. Normal body weight depends on a person’s Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing the body weight by the square of the person’s height. A person with a BMI value of 30 or more is considered obese. People with BMI of 40 or higher are said to suffer from morbid obesity, which is clinically severe obesity and is considered a chronic disease.

A large number of factors can cause obesity in people. The main being environmental factors such as the type of food you eat and the lack of physical activity in your daily routine. Genetic susceptibility is also considered a cause of obesity, however, your genetic make up does not mean that you have to be obese throughout your life. Modifying your eating habits and physical activity can help you overcome this problem. Eating disorders such as binge eating disorder can also cause obesity in many people.

Obesity opens the door for many health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, gallbladder disease, and lung disease. Heavy body weight can weaken your load bearing joints and cause problems such as osteoarthritis and gout. Obesity may also lead to sleep disorders and breathing problems such as asthma.

Vancouver Physiotherapy promotes physical well-being of obese people by using different strategies to increase their metabolism, reduce stress in their joints and muscles due to obesity, and promote the effects of increasing physical activity in improving their lifestyle.


Treatment

Many drugs and surgical procedures are now available to help control weight. However, according to experts these drugs and surgeries are usually not safe and can cause harmful side effects. Therefore, the best way to reduce weight is by combining diet modifications with physical exercises.


Vancouver Physiotherapy

Vancouver Physiotherapy uses relaxation techniques, massage therapy, and breathing exercises to help obese patients. The therapy also promotes a daily exercise routine to help patients increase their physical activity.


Aerobic Exercises

Vancouver Physiotherapy helps obese patients start some kind of aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, or cycling. They are encouraged to start a moderate exercise routine slowly progressing to 30 minutes or more of daily physical activity for weight loss. Vancouver Physiotherapy discourages inactive lifestyle like watching hours of television and promotes a physically active lifestyle.


Relaxation techniques

Obesity causes a lot of stress in the body that limits the function of the immune system and increases the chances of heart and lung disease. Various relaxation techniques used during Vancouver Physiotherapy help in improving immune function, lowering blood pressure, increasing emotional control, and releasing muscle tension caused by heavy body weight.


Breathing Exercises

Vancouver Physiotherapy includes breathing exercises for obese patients. Breathing exercises elevate body metabolism that burns fat, reduces craving for food, increases self-awareness, prevents heart disease, and promotes the sense of well-being in obese patients.


Massage therapy

Heavy weight induces chronic pain in obesity patients, their joints are painful all the time and their muscles are tensed and tired. Massage therapy, used during Vancouver Physiotherapy, helps in improving mobility and blood circulation in the body. This in turn, reduces chronic pain, reduces physical and emotional stress, and promotes weight loss.


Vancouver Physiotherapy uses techniques such as aerobic exercises, relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, and massage therapy to improve metabolism and circulation in obese patients. The treatment promotes increased physical activity in obese patients that helps in weight loss.