Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health and life. As per WHO (World Health Organisation) in the year 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults across the world were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese. 41 million children under the age of 5 and 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016. The American Medical Association recognises obesity as a disease and considers it a major public health problem. Obesity increases morbidity and most obese people are at risk of heart attacks, strokes, Diabetes, musculo-skeletal disorders, especially osteoarthritis and even cancers. Obesity is not good and can be prevented but what role can omega 3 rich diet play in your weight loss program? Let’s find out. What is Omega 3? Omega 3 fatty acids are a group of healthy polyunsaturated fats. They are essential fatty acids and cannot be produced in the body so one needs to consume them through diet. The three main omega 3 fatty acids are: alpha linoleic acid (AHA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA). DHA is a vital component of the cell membranes of retina and the brain. Omega 6 is the other essential fatty acids that our body needs, it causes inflammation and keeps us safe but to much of Omega 6 can be very harmful. But the modern diet has too much of omega 6 and very little of omega 3 and this increases the risk of developing diseases like heart problems, type 2 diabetes and even obesity. That is why the one needs to increase omega 3 intake either through diet or as supplements. How Does Omega 3 Help in Obesity? Fat is something obese people always want to stay away from but in case of Omega 3 fatty acids it’s just the opposite. Omega 3 may not be directly responsible for weight loss but is does help the obese people. Research has shown that obese people have lesser Omega 3 in their bodies as compared to Omega 6 leading to more health complications. The main weight-loss benefit of this healthy fat is, in overweight and obese people it helps to-  Improve glucose sensitivity  Decrease insulin resistance  Lessen markers of inflammation  Speeds up fat oxidation by stimulating a precise receptor in the liver that affects fat Another way fish oil omega-3s helps in weight loss is by improving your metabolism. Higher metabolic rate, means you burn more calories burn and that in turn makes it easier to lose weight. A recent study found that the healthy adult, who took 3 grams of fish oil per day for 12 weeks, had the metabolic rate augmented by an average of 5.3%. It has also been proved that Omega-3s lowers risk of stroke, cardiovascular problems, joint pain and reduces inflammation, a major contributing factor to obesity. All this means that including some fish oil into your daily diet is actually a very good idea as it will not only improve your overall health but also aid in weight management.