Not Just Appearance, Obesity Becomes A "Group" Of Kronis Disease

JAKARTA - Obesity is often considered just a matter of appearance, even though this condition is the entrance to various serious diseases.

Excessive fat in the body not only adds to the physical burden, but is also the main risk factor for the emergence of metabolic disorders that can reduce a person's quality of life.

An endocrine, metabolic and diabetes consultant internal medicine specialist from Universitas Brawijaya, dr. Rulli Rosandi Sp.PD-KEMD, asserts that obesity is like a fragile foundation that can trigger a variety of chronic diseases.

"This Obesity is the entry point into metabolic diseases. From the start, obesity, other diseases emerged," he said in a health discussion about obesity with Novo Nordisk in Jakarta, recently.

If diabetes is often dubbed the mother of all diseases, then obesity can be called fuel that causes problems in various organs of the body. Most obese patients, continued Rulli, experience diabetes which contributes to the increasing number of cases of heart and kidney disease.

In addition, obesity is also related to dyslipidemia or buildup of cholesterol plaque, hypertension, to metabolic syndrome. Therefore, obese patients need to regularly monitor blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

The impact of obesity does not stop there. Breathing disorders such as sleep apnea, characterized by snoring or difficulty breathing during sleep often occur.

Excessive body burden also makes the joints of pain quickly, the body feels heavy, and the breath becomes short. In women, obesity can trigger polyactive ovarian syndrome (PCOS), while in men it can cause hormonal disorders such as decreased testosterone levels.

From a psychological perspective, people with obesity often face social stigma and lack of environmental support. This condition worsens mental health, especially some antidepressant drugs can actually increase weight, so that the circle of problems is increasingly difficult to break.

For this reason, Rulli advises people with obesity to consult a specialist doctor to get treatment according to their respective conditions. In the category of low to moderate body mass index (IMT), lifestyle changes through exercise and healthy diets are usually quite effective.

However, if IMT is already above 25 or accompanied by complications such as diabetes, medical intervention with drugs and even bariatric surgery can be an option. He emphasized that obesity therapy is individual, cannot be equated with one patient and another.

Currently, medical developments provide new options in the management of obesity. Global studies show GLP-1-based therapy, combined with lifestyle changes, can help about a third of patients lose more than 20 percent weight.

For obese patients with a history of heart disease, this therapy is also associated with reducing cardiovascular risk by up to 20 percent. These benefits are considered to be able to improve quality of life while reducing long-term health risks.

Experts emphasize that obesity is a disease that needs to be treated medically, not just a lifestyle problem. Consultation with doctors is needed in determining the right therapy, including determining doses and monitoring regularly.

"The right handling not only helps reduce the number of obesity in Indonesia, but also reduces the number of deaths due to metabolic diseases and eases the burden on the national health system," he concluded.