BY UE STUDIO
Updated Wednesday, December 15, 2021- 12:47
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Send by email
60% of the Spanish population is overweight, but only 36% have a formal diagnosis. Overweight and obesity are very prevalent diseases in Spain with serious consequences for health, however, people who live with these pathologies, far from being understood, are often judged and criticized.
'Más Grande Que Yo' is an international movement promoted by Novo Nordisk with the collaboration of the Spanish Obesity Society (SEEDO)
with a clear objective: to change the narrative and social perception that exists about obesity in our country.
The website www.masgrandeque.es is the main platform for this initiative
.
"Overweight and obesity are not a defect or a weakness of character, therefore, people who suffer from them should not feel guilty and society would not have to comment on it," says Dr. Susana Monereo, secretary of SEEDO and specialist in Endocrinology and Nutrition.
Obesity is a public health problem that, in many cases, cannot be solved by eating healthy and exercising exclusively
, he says.
Other factors such as genetics or hormones play a role.
Know the Body Mass Index
A simple calculation to know if there is overweight or obesity is to know the Body Mass Index, that is, to divide the kilos that the person weighs by their height squared.
However, there are also other key symptoms that should immediately lead to a specialist's consultation.
"
If your clothes start to be too small, you sleep badly, you get tired with small efforts such as climbing stairs, it is difficult for you to move with agility, or you have pain in your back, knees or hips, you should go to the doctor
", says the doctor Monereo.
Finding the ideal weight is to gain health and improve quality of life
But being overweight and obese not only remain in these symptoms. "Obesity has consequences in all the body's organs: in the heart, in the lungs, it favors insulin resistance and, therefore, other metabolic diseases appear such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and can cause fatty liver "says the doctor. As if that were not enough, adds the endocrinologist, "
obesity is related to 11 different types of cancer such as breast or uterine cancer, and the association between obesity and cognitive impairment and dementia has already been demonstrated
".
Why then are there such high figures for overweight and obesity?
"Many people eat out of anxiety, stress, boredom, pleasure or simply because of social pressure, we celebrate everything with food and we give each other gastronomic tributes every two to three," he explains.
"But these are not reasons to criticize, since these people end up feeling a lot of guilt and a lot of stigma, and do not ask for help out of shame. This must end as soon as possible and for this,
society must start talking about obesity with respect and empathy
" , he asserts.
Lack of selfesteem
"All overweight or obese people who come to my office tend to have a lack of self-esteem and feel guilty or socially isolated, they even reject themselves and do not even dare to look in the mirror," says the expert.
"Most of them have spent their whole lives trying to lose weight, but they don't succeed and they get frustrated. They follow diets that their family or friends have followed and they don't know that each person is different. The treatment of overweight and
obesity must be personalized. and not everyone works the same,
"he points out.
'Larger Than Me' has a clear objective: to change the narrative and social perception that exists about obesity
Isn't it enough then to diet and physical exercise?
This Endocrinology and Nutrition specialist remembers that both steps are the basic pillar of treatment: to lose weight you have to eat fewer calories than are used and this is only achieved by eating less, in a healthy way, and doing aerobic and physical exercise. force. "And with all this it is possible to lose an average of 8 kilos; however, if you need to lose more weight and, above all, not regain it,
it is generally necessary to use drugs that help us increase satiety, keep hunger under control and reduce anxiety
", assures the specialist.
"It is clear that losing weight brings happiness, but not because of the aesthetic aspect, but because finding the ideal weight is to gain health and improve quality of life, in the short and long term; but until we change the story that exists around Many people will continue to feel bad about obesity and will not ask for the necessary help, "the doctor acknowledges.
It's the same thing that happened to
Vicky Martín Berrocal, designer and ambassador of the 'More Big Than Me' Movement
: "I myself had a weight problem and I didn't know it, it's a taboo subject: it's time to start talking about it from empathy and respect ".
Vicky acknowledges that although she was never affected by what people might think of her physical appearance, being overweight made her very fatigued.
"
It was difficult for me to get out of bed or the sofa, sometimes I was short of breath and at night I slept badly
. Having a few extra kilos is not healthy and you can suffer other diseases," he confesses.
"Throughout my life I have followed many regimens, but I always regained the lost weight. So I decided to put myself in the hands of medical professionals to achieve my goal: it is not about having the perfect body, it is about living better", points out the ambassador of the Movement, who has starred in
a video to raise awareness about the importance of this disease and that can be seen on the web www.masgrandeque.es
Spain is the first country, after the United States, to host the 'Larger Than Me' Movement
and will shortly tour several European countries.
You are also present on social media to foster positive conversations around being overweight and obesity, join them !:
Twitter:
@NovoNordiskES and
Instagram:
@Novonordiskes
Made by UE Studio
This text has been developed by UE Studio, creative firm of branded content and content marketing of Unidad Editorial, for NOVO NORDISK.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more