Lots of fat with diabetes and psycho-stress

German health: Lots of fat with diabetes and psycho-stress

06/15/2012

According to the second nationwide health survey for adults (DEGS), which was presented on Thursday by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin, there are more and more obese in Germany. In addition, the numbers showed that the diabetes and mental illness had also increased. So far, no reversal has been achieved in affluence diseases since 1998.

Poor health of many Germans is also related to lack of exercise
The numbers are scary. In the meantime every fourth German is too fat. Compared to 1998, obesity, diabetes and psycho-stress have even increased. One cause sees the RKI in too little sport and movement. According to the second nationwide Adult Health Survey (DEGS), nearly a quarter of men and women are obese with a body mass index of over 30. Federal Health Minister Daniel Bahr expressed concern and urged the health insurance funds to reconsider their preventive measures. More people would have to be convinced that health-conscious behavior has a big advantage for them, „but not with the raised index finger“.

For Bärbel-Maria Kurth of the RKI the numbers are overweight „a sobering realization“. She did not expect such shocking results. „This is no longer a beauty aspect. This is about possible sequelae such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular problems.“ The scientists found that two-thirds of German men and over 50 percent of women with a body mass index (BMI) of over 25 are overweight. Compared to previous studies, the trend towards obesity has not decreased. Meanwhile, even a quarter of citizens with a BMI over 30 are severely obese. However, this development is new. To determine the BMI, the weight in kilograms is divided by the square of the height in meters.

Diabetes is on the rise
According to RKI, more people from lower social strata are often affected by being overweight. At the same time, the number of diabetes illnesses is increasing. While in 1998 5.2 percent of the citizens suffered from diabetes - most of them relate to the type 2 diabetes provoked by unhealthy diet and lack of exercise - today it is already 7.2 percent. Women are 7.4 percent more likely to be affected by the metabolic disorder than men.

Also in the field of mental illness such as depression, the number of those affected increased sharply. In the meantime, every third woman and almost every fourth man reports that they have already suffered from a mental disorder at least once. Depression mainly occurs in the lower education and income bracket. „There are indications that some augmentation effects are to be expected in certain mental disorders“, explained Hans-Ulrich Wittchen from the TU Dresden. „This is certainly not an epidemic of depression.“

Positive developments were seen in the group of slightly overweight people. This decreased as well as the number of moans. „Overall, the level of sports in Germany seems to have increased in recent years“, as can be seen from the survey. After all, three-quarters of male and almost two-thirds of female citizens between the ages of 18 and 79 said they would do sports at least once a week. In the same year 1998, 13 percent of men and 16 of women were fewer. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 2.5 hours of strenuous exercise a week. However, this amount does not reach four-fifths of Germans.

For the period 2008-2011, the health data of 8,152 adults were analyzed. Almost half of them were already in the first survey in 1998.

Obesity is dangerous and leads to serious illness
Numerous diseases of affluence are directly related to obesity. For example, obesity is a high risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Often, diseases such as diabetes, lipid metabolism disorders and hypertension are added, which drastically increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, the so-called metabolic syndrome.

In obesity, there is a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, strokes, high blood pressure (arterial hypertension), heart attacks, reflux, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, atherosclerosis, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, degenerative spinal disorders and gout. If the BMI rises above 30, the risk of illness is drastically increased. There are also other serious consequences of obesity. This also increases the risk of decreased cognitive performance and dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. In addition there are emotional problems, among which sufferers often suffer from obesity. (Ag)

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Image: Thommy Weiss