The Unfortunate Health Consequences of Obesity

Being overweight or obese can be a tremendously stressful experience, and more so because it brings a host of other health problems along with it. Just a few of these include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even some varieties of cancer. Pregnant women may find there and their child’s health compromised due to excess weight as well. There is a long laundry list of issues that have been linked to obesity, and it is important to be aware of them.

What is Obesity?

A common fitness measure employed worldwide is the body mass index, which is a person’s weight (in kg) divided by the square of their height (in m2). A BMI of 30 or more is considered an indicator of obesity. It is important to make a distinction between overweight and obese here; a BMI of 25-30 is considered overweight and not obese. While not critical, an overweight BMI is certainly, a warning sign that you should be looking to get fit, lest you should contract serious health conditions.

It is worth noting that these are not blanket statements and not all obese people suffer from these issues. It is, however, true that people with a family history of these diseases are at risk to contract them. Your weight distribution also plays a part; for example, people with large amounts of belly fat might be at higher risk than those with a “pear” shaped body.

Here are some conditions that have been linked to obesity.

Type 2 Diabetes

Statistically, the majority of type-2 diabetics are obese or overweight. Sleeping adequately, exercising more, losing weight and following a balanced diet are all good ways to counteract this risk. Diabetics who increase their levels of physical activity also tend to require less medication and are in control of their blood sugar levels.

According to https://www.niddk.nih.gov, “More than 87% of adults with diabetes are overweight or obese. It isn’t clear why people who are overweight are more likely to develop this disease. It may be that being overweight causes cells to change, making them resistant to the hormone insulin. Insulin carries sugar from blood to the cells, where it is used for energy.” Cells of insulin-resistant subjects are unable to absorb blood sugar, which leads to a net increase in the sugar levels in the blood.

Gallbladder Disease

Gallstones and gallbladder disease is also very common among overweight subjects. The unfortunate aspect of this is that rapid weight loss also increases the likelihood of contracting gallstones. You should look to keep your weight loss levels down to about 1kg every 2 weeks to avoid this issue.

Cardiovascular Disease and Strokes

Extra weight makes it very likely for you to have high cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Both of these put you at risk to encounter heart disease. That said losing just a little weight does dramatically reduce your chances of facing these issues.

Certain Cancers

Post-menopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer, kidney, colon, and esophageal cancers are all linked somewhat to obesity. Further, pancreatic, ovarian and gall bladder cancers too have been found to have ties with being grossly overweight. If you have not gotten yourself checked in the last few years, head over and get a kit from MyBiosource.com.

Conclusion

Obesity has also been linked to dangers like osteoarthritis, gout, and sleep apnea. These facts are hard to hear but they have been observed to be true across millions of cases recorded over the years. If you find yourself at risk of facing these dangers, it is time to consider a major change in lifestyle and to move as quickly as possible towards fitness.

 Author Bio

Walter Moore is a health expert who has been running many health seminars and public discussions. He also manages his blog and reviews the health-related details provided by authentic sources.