Juan Fernando González G.

Obesity has become in the last 30 years a public health problem that affects one in three children and adolescents, and seven out of ten adults in our country. By itself, this disease can generate a myriad of problems, but when it is directly linked to diabetes, hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions, the situation becomes extremely complex.

Experts have established that obesity “is a multifactorial chronic disease in which genetic, environmental and lifestyle aspects are involved, which condition an excessive accumulation of body fat. The main risk factors are physical inactivity (sedentary lifestyle), the intake of foods with high energy density and in large portions, the consumption of soft drinks and sugary drinks, as well as a frequent intake of food between meals ”.

Modernity and being overweight 

The eating habits of Mexican society changed diametrically with the arrival of modernization and industrialization. In Mexico, and in most of the world, technology made it possible to refrigerate and freeze food from 1930. Shortly after, natural and fresh products succumbed to edibles with preservatives, packaged in attractive bags or cans, whose flavors and colors were - and are - artificial. Indeed, the proximity to the United States, the country that boasts of having created a wide range of junk food, has caused us to adopt many harmful patterns for our health. Hence, it is interesting to take a look at the National Survey of Health and Nutrition (Ensanut) 2012, about the diet of the Mexican population. 

The study reveals that Mexicans: 
• We have an adequate consumption of whole grains and red meat. 
• We present an insufficient intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, plain water and breast milk. 
• We eat excessively added sugars, processed meats and, above all, sugary drinks and foods with high energy density and low nutritional density. 

The latter two provide a quarter of the total energy in the diet. The consumption of sugary beverages is associated with a lower consumption of vitamins and minerals, which not only favors the presence of obesity but also malnutrition due to micronutrient deficiency, thus causing a double burden of poor nutrition. In the case of children, the consumption of this type of liquids (soft drinks, nectars, flavored drinks, fresh waters, coffee / tea with sugar) is very high and begins from the first months of life. 

An extremely revealing data is the following: 
The percentage of children under two years of age who consumed sugary drinks the day before the interview that the Ensanut records was 47% for non-dairy drinks, and 17% for dairy drinks; with an average consumption of 45 and 35 kcal / d, respectively. This was observed even in children under six months, who must be exclusively breastfed. 

 A fat planet 

• In the world, approximately 1.4 billion adults are overweight, and 500 million are obese. 
• According to the Global Health Observatory, Mexico is one of the five Latin American countries with the highest prevalence of overweight (9.0%) in children under five years of age, along with Argentina (9.9%), Paraguay (11.7%), Barbados (12.2%) and Belize (13.7%). 
• In the case of children over five years of age, Mexico is the country with the highest prevalence of overweight (43.9%) in Latin America. 

* In epidemiology, prevalence is called the proportion of individuals in a group or population that present a certain characteristic or event (in medicine, diseases). 

 Homeopathy, a great aid to combat obesity 

As with most diseases, the obese patient should know that there is no magic bullet. “For the proper diagnosis of patients with obesity, a medical history, basic clinical examinations and a review of the psychological and social aspects of the patient are required in order to establish a healthy lifestyle. Dietary management and physical exercise will be of first intention if there are no concomitant serious illnesses. 

This is stated by a group of homeopathic doctors in a scientific article related to obesity and homeopathy, in which it is emphasized that “the psychological factor is a special point in the context of the family and social challenges; hence it is necessary to evaluate the presence of psychological disorders as a cause of obesity ”. 

 The researchers also point out that various “studies carried out in children and adolescents showed that chronic obesity is associated with psychological disorders, such as chronic stress, anxiety and depression (which is more evident with a higher degree of obesity and is associated with the intake of restricted foods) ”they state. 

An opinion that is of great value is that of Dr. Julio César Zavala Castillo, former head of the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Service of the National Homeopathic Hospital, who points out that there are effective homeopathic treatments to accelerate the body's metabolism (the process in which food becomes energy), which allows the transit of food to the gastrointestinal level to be faster. That way, there may be less fat absorption. 

 For his part, Dr. Alberto Sacristán Rubio, a specialist in Family and Community Medicine and former president of the Spanish Society of Homeopathic Doctors, points out: “The use of Homeopathy has helped me a lot to treat these patients. 

Homeopathic medicines have an important safety profile. “We have to take into account that the obese patient has other health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis and they take medication to control these diseases. For this reason, homeopathic medicines can be used due to their effectiveness ”, he concludes. 

References:
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 ·         Comunicado de prensa. Secretaría de Salud. https://www.gob.mx/salud/prensa/140-con-medicina-homeopatica-se-puede-tratar-con-exito-sobrepeso-y-obesidad?idiom=es-MX
 ·         Revista La Homeopatía de México. http://www.lahomeopatiademexico.com.mx/701_files/701%20LHM-2016%20mar-abr.pdf
 ·         www.hablandodehomeopatia.com.
 https://www.hablandodehomeopatia.com/la-homeopatia-tu-aliada-para-la-obesidad-y-el-sobrepeso/