The obesity section, published last year, complements the diabinfo content on the prevention of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. In addition to material on the prevalence, risk factors, causes, and diagnosis of obesity, the portal also offers a detailed overview of the various treatment approaches and possible accompanying diseases and complications.
Obesity: A disease with many facets
Obesity is a chronic disease that requires lifelong professional care and individually tailored therapy. In addition to restricting movement, obesity increases the risk of a variety of accompanying diseases and complications and can have a negative impact on well-being and quality of life. Until now, obesity has been diagnosed using the body mass index (BMI), which compares body weight and height. Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 kg/m² or higher.
However, BMI does not take into account the distribution of fat tissue, which plays a decisive role in health risks. In particular, visceral fat around the internal organs in the abdominal cavity is associated with a greatly increased risk of obesity-related complications. Against this background, an international commission has recommended that, in addition to BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), or waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) should also be determined, or that direct measurements of body fat should be taken for diagnostic purposes. Further information on the individual measurements and the diagnosis of obesity is available at diabinfo.de.
Research topic: metabolic BMI
On this year's World Obesity Day, diabinfo.de reports on a study carried out with the participation of DZD researchers in Leipzig on a new approach, known as metabolic BMI (metBMI), to better assess the individual risk of metabolic diseases.
The above-mentioned commission also proposes a new classification of obesity into two categories: “clinical obesity” and “preclinical obesity.” Clinical obesity describes a chronic disease associated with obesity-related, persistent organ dysfunction. Preclinical obesity, on the other hand, indicates an increased health risk but not yet a permanent disease.
Prevention – taking charge of your own health
The prevention portal at diabinfo.de provides in-depth background information to deepen understanding of the interactions between type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. In addition, the portal offers a detailed overview and practical tips on how a healthy lifestyle can help effectively prevent noncommunicable diseases.
diabinfo.de
diabinfo.de is a joint offer from Helmholtz Munich, the German Diabetes Center (DDZ), and the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD). The information portal provides scientifically approved and independent information on diabetes mellitus and the prevention of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases in five languages. The content is aimed at people with diabetes, their relatives, people at increased risk of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, diabetes educators, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and the interested public.
