Obesity

Obesity, that is the exaggerated increase in the adipose panniculus, is a serious social problem, typical of industrialized countries and whose nature can be GENETIC or ACQUIRED.
Fat cells, called adipocytes, can increase in volume and number.

In the case of genetic obesity, fat cells at birth increased in number compared to the average. The increase in adipocytes can also occur in infancy and prepuberty. An individual with a high number of adipocytes is doomed to obesity or crash diets for life, because their volume can be reduced but the number cannot. Women are even more unfortunate as fat cells are also controlled by estrogen and this causes the adipocytes to fill with water easily, especially in the premenstrual period, with an increase in BODY MASS (especially in the lower part of the body). Having said this, we deduce that in the "origin of" genetic obesity there are often large family responsibilities , as adipocytes can multiply in the fetus due to an incorrect diet of the mother and during the growth phases of the child; for this reason, it is essential to set up a correct diet from childhood.
Acquired obesity derives from incorrect eating and living habits (sedentary lifestyle), as well as from overeating. This is why obesity has increased significantly in the last twenty years).

Hyperphagia, or excessive appetite, can also have a genetic or induced origin.
In the first case we can have two situations at times concomitant:

- in the organism there is an altered control system of the assimilation, metabolism and use of certain nutrients, especially mineral salts and vitamins.
- the HOMEOSTATIC control mechanism of the hypothalamic centers of hunger is altered, so there is the need for "hypernutrition".

The hypothalamic hunger center is an "area of ​​the brain involved in the regulation of this stimulus; it is composed of a" medial center "and a" lateral ". Inhibition of the medial center causes HYPERPHAGIA, that is, an increase in appetite, while stimulation causes AFAGIA, ie inappetence. Conversely, inhibition of the lateral center causes AFAGIA and HYPERPHAGIA stimulation.
It is experimentally proven that the following environmental situations can alter dietary habits and increase appetite.

- problems of a psychological nature
- lack of interest, boredom
- lack of internal and external stimuli
- excessive availability of food
- lack of movement
- excessive nutrition
- excessive consumption of sweets (reactive hypoglycemia causes the brain to request other sugars, creating a vicious circle).

We distinguish two types of obesity: the ANDROID one, especially typical of men, and the GINOID one, so called because it is present above all in women.

Android obesity is under the influence of testosterone, the male hormone par excellence, and is characterized by the preferential accumulation of adipose tissue in the waist. This type of obesity is considered a danger, as it predisposes the individual to various cardiovascular diseases. .

Gynoid obesity is under the influence of estrogen; this time, excess fat tends to be localized mainly on the legs and buttocks, also predisposing to cellulite.
To determine the FAT MASS of the individual and a possible state of obesity there are many tables and methods, almost all suitable for normal subjects, but less precise for the obese ones or for muscular and low-fat athletes (since they do not take into account these conditions and are standardized). Therefore, the BODY MAX INDEX (BMI) and other tables can give useful indications, but not with absolute values. Among the methods of easier application and precision in the gym, the PLICOMETER certainly falls, both for the ease of use and for the practicality of evaluation even over time.