In the "Cheongomabi" Season of Autumn, Carelessness Can Lead to Obesity

The season of Cheongomabi, when the sky is high and horses grow fat, autumn has arrived. Due to the characteristics of autumn, people can gain weight, and especially before the Chuseok holiday, rich foods and gatherings with family and acquaintances after a long time create the perfect conditions for weight gain.

In the chilly autumn weather compared to summer, our body consumes more energy than usual to raise body temperature, increasing appetite. Reduced sunlight decreases the effect of vitamin D, which in turn reduces the secretion of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone, making appetite control difficult.

Also, Chuseok, which comes with the beginning of autumn, leads to consuming more food than usual, and as diets followed during summer end, weight naturally increases.

Weight gain first brings to mind external changes such as chubbiness in the arms, legs, and abdomen. However, invisible changes are more important.

Inside our body, fats accumulate in adipose tissue, and when fat accumulates abnormally, it leads to obesity. Obesity can directly cause diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, stroke, heart disease, arthritis, and other conditions, so caution is necessary.

Fats ingested through food can also accumulate in the liver, where triglycerides accumulate in liver cells.

When fat accounts for more than 5% of the liver's weight, it is diagnosed as fatty liver. Depending on the progression, if inflammation accompanied by liver cell damage and some fibrosis occurs, it is classified as steatohepatitis; if significant fibrosis progresses, it is classified as fatty liver-related cirrhosis.

Fatty liver is commonly caused not only by obesity but also by alcohol consumption, insulin resistance, cholesterol, and triglycerides, and most cases are asymptomatic. It is often discovered through blood tests or abdominal ultrasound during health checkups. Occasionally, discomfort in the right upper abdomen, fatigue, lethargy, or loss of appetite may be felt.

In the case of fatty liver, lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise to control causative factors can reversibly improve the condition. If left untreated, cytokines secreted from accumulated fat can harm the liver, potentially progressing to hepatitis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer, so caution is required.

Obesity image. [Image source=Clipart Korea]

Im Chang-seop, head of the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center at Daedong Hospital, said, “In modern society, for various reasons, the intake of meat and processed foods has increased, naturally increasing fat intake in total energy consumption, while physical activity has decreased, exposing people to various diseases caused by obesity.”

He added, “For a healthy life, it is recommended to have quality meals and exercise to maintain an appropriate weight, and regularly check body fat mass through measurements such as height, weight, and body composition analysis.”

Fatty liver is diagnosed through blood tests, ultrasound, etc., and treatment is initiated according to the cause.

For obese individuals, the goal is to reduce current body weight by 10% over 3 to 6 months by controlling fat and carbohydrate intake, eating quality meals at regular times, and performing moderate-intensity exercise for about an hour at least three times a week.

Rapid weight loss should be avoided as it can increase inflammation in the liver. If alcohol is the cause, abstinence is necessary, and if diabetes is present, medication and dietary therapy should be conducted under medical supervision.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.