{"id":9715,"date":"2026-01-07T11:36:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T11:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/news\/obesity-what-you-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T13:01:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:01:59","slug":"obesity-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/news\/obesity-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Obesity: What you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The latest data confirm that the situation is similar in Croatia as well, even at the earliest ages. According to the results of the most recent round of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hzjz.hr\/en\/\">COSI study<\/a><\/strong>, which is also the first to cover the COVID-19 pandemic period, in Croatia, <strong>every third child (36%)<\/strong>, and in Europe, <strong>every fourth child (25%)<\/strong>, has excess body weight or obesity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pretilost-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up of hands tightening a blue measuring tape around a person\u2019s waist, measuring circumference.\" class=\"wp-image-7968\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/obesity-treatment\/\"><strong>Obesity<\/strong><\/a> must be addressed from multiple angles. It is not a single issue, but a set of interconnected factors that form a \u201cpuzzle\u201d leading to excess body weight.<br>What should you pay attention to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Psychotherapy and social support \u2013 relationship with food<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Healthy nutrition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Physical activity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Ruling out diseases that occur alongside obesity or may be its cause<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Medication and\/or surgery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why should obesity be treated?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By losing weight, you <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/news\/pressure-kip-knee\/\">reduce the load on your joints<\/a><\/strong>, which reduces pain in your lower back, hips, knees, and ankles. Joints wear out less because they no longer need to support excessive weight\u2014higher body weight contributes to joint damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MBP66020-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a white medical coat sits at a desk in a bright room, in front of a computer displaying a chart on the monitor.\" class=\"wp-image-5736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MBP66020-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MBP66020-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MBP66020-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MBP66020-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MBP66020-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to joint damage, obesity is associated with other conditions: <strong>infertility<\/strong>, <strong>polycystic ovary syndrome<\/strong>, <strong>kidney stones<\/strong>, <strong>urinary tract infections<\/strong>, <strong>cancer<\/strong>,<strong> heart disease<\/strong>, <strong>high blood pressure,<\/strong> <strong>stroke<\/strong>, <strong>type 2 diabetes<\/strong>,<strong> fatty liver<\/strong> (which can also lead to liver cirrhosis), <strong>sleep apnea<\/strong>, and more. The risk of conditions such as <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/treatments\/internal-medicine\/cardiology\/\">high blood pressure, heart disease,<\/a><\/strong> and stroke may be 2 to 3 times higher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Practical tips that can help you reduce body weight starting today<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mindset<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>a) Self-monitoring:<\/strong><br>This is one of the key elements of behavioral therapy. Self-monitoring includes <strong>keeping a food diary<\/strong> and <strong>tracking physical activity<\/strong>. In the food diary, the participant records everything they eat, their calorie intake, and the circumstances in which they consume food. Keeping a diary during the first six months is associated with greater success in weight loss. Even in studies comparing placebo and pharmaceutical medications, individuals who tracked their food intake lost twice as much weight as those who did not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>b) Stimulus control:<\/strong><br>Changing an environment that encourages food intake and adapting it to avoid overeating. Stimulus control includes <strong>careful planning of grocery shopping<\/strong> and <strong>avoiding high-calorie<\/strong>, <strong>processed foods<\/strong>. Other methods include: reducing portion sizes, using smaller plates and bowls, giving meals full attention without distractions (such as watching TV or reading), and eating while seated rather than on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>c) Eating slowly:<\/strong><br><strong>Slowing down<\/strong> allows the feeling of fullness to register. Techniques include focusing on flavors, taking pauses between bites, and drinking water during meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nutrition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Avoid strict restrictions (or apply them only under medical supervision). When the goal is weight loss, many options can suit different individuals. You can always keep your existing eating habits and reduce calorie intake. Of course, if you want to take <strong>full advantage of healthy nutrition<\/strong>, it is essential to focus on choosing certain foods rather than just counting calories. The range of balanced dietary patterns, tailored to individual needs, is broad enough to accommodate diverse preferences, tolerances, life circumstances, and sociocultural traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>An example of a successful diet: the DASH diet<\/strong><br><strong>The DASH diet<\/strong> (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) limits intake of fatty meats, sweets, and sugary drinks, and emphasizes a high intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and fish. It has been shown to reduce body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference. An analysis of 13 studies found an average weight loss of 1.42 kg, a reduction in BMI of 0.42 kg\/m\u00b2, and a decrease in waist circumference of 1.05 cm, with study durations averaging 8-52 weeks. Healthy selection: salmon, broccoli, avocado, cabbage, cucumber, olives, blueberries, chickpeas, cheese, seeds, and olive oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Pretilost.jpg\" alt=\"Zdrava selekcija: losos, brokula, avokado, kupus, krastavac, masline, borovnice, slanutak, sir, sjemenke i maslinovo ulje.\" class=\"wp-image-9712\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Physical activity<\/strong><br>The importance of exercise is clearly demonstrated by numerous studies and meta-analyses showing that people with obesity who have <strong>high cardiorespiratory<\/strong> fitness have a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with people of normal body weight who lead a sedentary lifestyle. About <strong>300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity<\/strong> or <strong>150 minutes of higher-intensity activity <\/strong>is sufficient to mobilize visceral fat (loss of \u201charmful\u201d kilograms). Physical activity can be divided into several shorter segments of at least 10 minutes to have a metabolic effect. The general recommendation for the population is at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity, equivalent to walking at 5\u20136 km\/h. Playing sports is not necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Recommended tests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blood pressure measurement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cardiovascular risk assessment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Abdominal ultrasound and fatty liver evaluation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thyroid hormones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HbA1c and fasting blood glucose<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Obesity treatment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The well-known \u201cOzempic\u201d\u2014in discussion with a physician, after all the above steps have been completed, pharmacotherapy may be considered for specific individuals, and in some cases, surgical treatment as well. Therefore, seek support from the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/priora.eu\/en\">IMC Priora<\/a> <\/strong>team. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/departments\/internal-medicine\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1507\">Internal medicine<\/a><\/strong> at IMC Priora is dedicated to the treatment of obesity, applying the most advanced methods and technologies. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we provide precise diagnostics, individualized therapies, and continuous support to help patients achieve a healthier body weight and improve overall health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The latest data confirm that the situation is similar in Croatia as well, even at the earliest ages. According to the results of the most recent round of the COSI study, which is also the first to cover the COVID-19 pandemic period, in Croatia, every third child (36%), and in Europe, every fourth child (25%), [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9714,"template":"","news-category":[20],"class_list":["post-9715","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-for-patients"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/9715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-category?post=9715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}