Obesity is on the rise in Vietnam and around the world. If there’s not any well controll solution, obesity could become a new “pandemic” of the 21st century due to its rapid increase in numbers and serious health consequences and disease burden that it causes.

The impact of Obesity on body and health

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines obesity as an abnormal and excessive accumulation of fat in one area of the body or the whole body, as determined by body mass index – BMI. The sign of being overweight and obese is an increase in body weight.

In particular, the volume of fat accumulates in the thighs, abdomen, waist, chest, biceps, calves,… increase clearly.

Body Mass Index – BMI

BMI is calculated based on the ratio of weight to height squared, showing the current weight status. Compared to the standard BMI value, a personal BMI will determine whether a person is overweight, underweight, or or at a healthy weight.

BMI formula:

BMI (kg/m2) = Body weight / (Height x height)

(unit of weight: kg; height: m)

A BMI of less than 18.5 means you’re are underweight, from 18.5 to 24.9 means you’re at a healthy weight, above 25 means you’re overweight. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese, and if over 40, you’re severely obese.

Note, BMI is suitable for estimating body fat intake for most people, but for some special subjects such as pregnant women, bodybuilders,… this index may be incorrect.

The harmful effects of obesity on health

Obesity has a lot of harm to human health and can lead to many dangerous diseases:

Digestive system:

A diet rich in fat, lack of fruits and vegetables can lead to indigestion, constipation, or pathologies such as enteritis, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease,…

Circulatory system:

Obesity is the leading cause of high blood pressure, high blood fat,… which easily leads to pathologies such as heart failure, myocardial infarction, fatty liver, …

Respiratory system:

The effects of obesity also cause significant consequences for the respiratory system such as causing snoring, shortness of breath when moving even in a short time, which can lead to sleeping dificulties or insomnia, in some cases, you can be stopped breathing in the short term causes the body is too heavy.

Bones and joints:

Large amounts of body weight also put pressure on bones and joints, especially the cartilage sockets. This is a high risk factor for degenerative arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica,…

Genitourinary system:

People with obesity are often more likely to face premature ejaculation, physiological weakness,… in men and menstrual disorders in women.

Children’s health:

Overweight or obesity will slow children down in height, while causing imbalances in their body, making the child’s reflexes slower than others. Children are also more susceptible to certain psychological pressures and low self-esteem in school and social environments.

Obesity prevention

Regular exercise:

Unfortunately, nowadays, most adults spend most of their day sitting, whether at home, at work, or during recreational activities. With a sedentary lifestyle, it may not be easy to burn calories each day. So one of the most important things to prevent weight gain is to exercise regularly. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each day.

Healthy diet:

Reduce the amount of fat containing many saturated acids such as animal fat, butter, coconut oil, cheese; cut down on fat that ccomprises a lot of cholesterol such as animal organs, egg yolks in your diet. Limit eating fast foods, sweets…. Avoid salty food and eating late; should eat foods low in calories, for examples, fruits, vegetables and cereals.

Eat small meals, starting with a full breakfast. Eat three main meals and two snacks per day. Remember that there is not any kind of food that provides all the nutrients you need, choose a variety of foods throughout the day and always control your eating behavior. Proper eating will help helps the body to stop cravings.

Drink lots of water:

Our body always needs water, also by drinking more water, the kidneys will filter waste better and the body will metabolize fat more efficiently. People who drink more than 4 glasses of water a day can lose 1 kg more than those who drink less.

Get enough sleep:

According to researchers, an extra hour of sleep per night will help you lose up to 6kg per year. Many studies also show that too little sleep increases cravings and makes the body unable to control when hungry.

Lifestyle changes:

To prevent obesity, you need to create a healthy lifestyle, reduce stress, not to smoke, and limit alcohol. Quit the habit of eating while reading or watching TV… because it’s easy to lose control and lead to overeat.

You should stop eating as soon as you are not hungry. Practicing the habit of eating slowly, chewing thoroughly will limit the amount of food you eat.

Insmart’s Direct Billing service

By February 2022, Insmart has signed cooperation agreements on direct billing service with more than 380 medical providers in 63 provinces and cities across the country and becoming the leading TPA with the widest service coverage in the insurance market in Vietnam.

Over the past 10 years, Insmart has always focused on developing and promoting Direct Billing with the aim of helping customers receive insurance benefits right at medical providers and minimizing time and effort spending on insurance claim procedures.

With prompt payment method, minimizing procedure of paperwork, exchanging cash and information security, our direct billing service utilities will help customers avoid worrying about medical examination and treatment. Using Insmart’s Direct Billing, customers will:

• Reduce financial burden
• Diversify the choice of suitable medical providers
• Simple and easily accessible service process
• No need to collect documents and waste time filing claim for reimbursement
• Supporting Call center when having problems at medical providers

Insmart also is the first TPA who provides Pre-Authorization Service (PreA) in Vietnam. With PreA, Insmart will issue Guarantee Letter to customers before hospitalization, based on the Medical Provider’s treatment requirements and the participating customer’s insurance program.

Don’t forget to choose insurance products managed by Insmart to experience Direct Billing service at medical providers in Our affiliated system!!!

Please send your inquiries via email: mkt@insmart.com.vn or find out more information about our services at:

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[Marketing Department – Insmart JSC]