Obesity experts in UAE identify correlation between weight gain and energy dysregulation in women

Dubai, UAE:  Obesity is a metabolic disease of energy dysregulation which results in fat storage. Genetics and developmental biology play critical roles in determining how a woman’s bodies regulate energy balance. However lifestyle, including dietary intake, physical activity, and sleep patterns can also influence her biology. Hormonal changes impact how the body regulates food intake, energy expenditure and fat storage.

According to Dr Nadia Ahmad, Founding Medical Director, Obesity Medicine Institute, Dubai, UAE, “There are different types of weight gain in women and in order to effectively address them, each form must be understood from a biological and behavioural perspective. The biology of our body’s energy regulatory, environmental, psychosocial and behavioural systems, can adversely affect it. This makes obesity one of the most complex diseases of our time to understand and address.”

Dr Ahmad will be speaking about the importance of identifying the various factors that contribute to the development of obesity in women at the Obs-Gyne Exhibition and Congress organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions that will take place from 29-31 March 2015 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“In the UAE, 39.9% of Emirati women suffer from obesity compared to 25.6% of Emirati men. Obesity is a likely contributing factor to the decrease in fertility in the UAE.  Over the last 20 years the fertility rate dropped from 4.4 to 1.7 births per woman, and 1 in 6 couples in the UAE report having difficulty getting pregnant,” says Dr Ahmed.

In obesity fat accumulates in different parts of the body and has different effects based on its locations; subcutaneous fat may be cosmetically displeasing, but is not usually associated with adverse metabolic or cardiovascular outcomes. Visceral fat is associated with increased inflammation and insulin resistance, which is associated with the development of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which can affect fertility. Fat also accumulates in the tissues and organs of the body such as the blood vessels, the heart, and the liver; which could result in a stroke, heart attack, or liver failure (cirrhosis).

Obesity is also associated with several cancers specific to women, including endometrial cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and breast cancer. The psychosocial effects of obesity are also significant and can reduce one’s quality of life. Stress can change the way the body manages energy; depression, anxiety and other forms of mental illness are also associated with obesity.