Harmful Effects of Obesity

Obesity is an abnormally high amount of body weight due to an excessive amount of adipose tissue (fat cells) in the body that can lead to a lot of health risks, here is a list of them below

- Increased body weight leads to more work for heart because a greater load is put on the cardiovascular system. High blood pressure, hyper-lipidemia (increased fats in the blood) and atherosclerosis ( fat accumulation in the arteries) can all lead to heart attack strokes. These diseases are very common in obese people.

- Obesity decreases respiratory movements leading to obesity hypo-ventilation. Tolerance to physical exercise is decreased resulting in breathlessness on minor exertion.

- Varicose veins is also commonly seen in obese individuals.

- Joints become painful and sore due to all the weight that they have to carry especially weight bearing joints like the knee. This can lead to osteoarthritis of greater stress and strain.

- Back pain is also a common problem in the obese.

- There is excessive sweating because deposits of fat under the skin acts as an insulating material making it difficult for the body to lose heat by radiation and convection; in addition more heat will be produced by an obese person as compared to a thin person under similar conditions.

- Diabetes is also a very common disease in obese people especially diabetes type 2 , which starts in mid life and is usually due to insulin resistance.

- Cancer of the rectum, colon, breast, ovaries and uterus are more common in the obese.

- Sexual disorders like menstrual disorders and sterility are common in obese women. In men extra fat cells convert more testosterone to estrogen producing an anti testosterone effect.

- The resistance to infections is is less in the obese making them more prone to respiratory infections and fungal skin diseases.

- The incidence of gall bladder disease is also higher in the obese.

Hiatus hernia leading to heart burn due to gastro -esophageal reflux is also very common.

- The obese are poor surgical risks.

- Pregnancy is also accompanied by more complications in obese women.

- Snoring and sleep apnea are also quite common in obese people, sleep apnea can cause dangerous and fast heart beats which occasionally can be fatal. The person does not feel fresh on waking up from sleep and remains somnolent during the day showing microsleep meaning sleep that last a very short time.

- The obese have an overall short life expectancy. As said “longer the belt, shorter the life span”.

- Obese individuals are more prone to mental depression due to decreased self respect brought about by unkind remarks and jokes. They have a poor degree of self image which improves with loss of body weight.

- Men with a waist circumference more than 40 inches and women with more than 35 are at a risk of developing obesity.