Being overweight is one of the main problems that people face today. This can be due to lifestyle – not exercising enough, consuming too many sweets or just overeating, as well as alcohol and stress. However, obesity can also be caused by various health problems, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, and so on. There is a lot we can do on our own due to lifestyle obesity. We can monitor more closely what we put in our mouths and combine a healthy diet with appropriate physical activity. This helps us to reduce the level of stress caused by work or other factors.
We may think that the extra pounds won’t bother us, but we shouldn’t turn our back to the health risks of being overweight.
Obesity is associated with the following health problems
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease in which blood sugar is higher than normal. Diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin, weakened insulin, or both. Genetic baggage, lack of exercise, and an unhealthy diet, as well as obesity, play an important role in the development of the disease. Whereas in the past the disease was more common in middle-aged people, now the disease has been observed in more and more young people and children.
Being overweight causes changes in the cells, making them resistant to the hormone insulin. The role of insulin is to transfer sugar from the blood to the cells, where it is converted into energy, but when a person is insulin resistant, the cells are unable to absorb blood sugar, resulting in high blood sugar. In this way, insulin-producing cells have to work even harder and fail over time under heavy load.
Over time, diabetes also causes heart disease, nerve damage, stroke, kidney disease, and vision loss.
Weight loss and physical activity can help you control your blood sugar and prevent or delay the health risks and complications of this form of diabetes
High blood pressure
With each heartbeat, blood is pumped into every part of your body and supplied with oxygen. However, as you gain weight, your body needs more blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to its cells. However, more pressure is needed to get more blood to each cell.
Blood pressure of 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal. If your upper number is consistently 140 or higher and your lower 90 or higher, you have high blood pressure.
High blood pressure due to obesity can lead to various heart diseases, the risk of stroke, and kidney failure.
Weight loss, along with other lifestyle changes, can make a significant contribution to normalizing blood pressure.
Heart disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. The most common problem is the decrease and narrowing of the elasticity of blood vessels, which prevents the heart from getting the blood it needs.
The main risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. Being overweight is an additional risk factor, as being overweight increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Already 5-10% weight loss can significantly reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and improve blood circulation. The body receives more nutrients, oxygen, and normalizes cell function.
Sleep apnea
The most common sleep-disordered breathing disorder is obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which there is a partial or complete coincidence of the airways and a “suffocation” effect. The health risks associated with sleep apnea are high blood pressure and problems with the heart muscles, arrhythmias, heart attack, and an increased risk of sudden death.
Obesity is the main risk factor for sleep apnea. Obesity compresses the diaphragm, lungs, and chest cavity and causes difficulty breathing. In addition, excess fat reduces the ability of the airways to expand and stretch and increases muscle relaxation.
Weight loss makes an important contribution to relieving sleep apnea and preventing related problems.
Liver impairment
The liver is the body’s main laboratory involved in the metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other substances. In addition, it performs a protective function, produces vitamin A, accumulates in liver D, K, PP, and other B vitamins.
Obesity also affects the liver and leads to disturbances in the basic functions of the liver. In the worst case, liver damage can be accompanied by cirrhosis of the liver. There is an extremely strong link between obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver. Fatty liver is up to fifteen times more common in obese people. Even without diabetes, the insulin-resistant liver has higher levels of fat in the liver.
The only way to cope with the disease is to lose weight, exercise, and avoid alcohol.
Kidney impairment
In kidney disease, your kidneys may be damaged and you may no longer be able to filter the blood properly. As a result, residues and toxins begin to accumulate in your body, which in turn leads to various health damage.
Obesity significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension, which in turn is directly related to the development of kidney damage. Studies also show that obesity itself causes and accelerates kidney damage.
If you have early-stage chronic kidney disease, weight loss slows the course of the disease and helps your kidneys last longer.
Joint damage or osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (or just arthritis) is a joint disease whose main manifestations are pain, joint stiffness, and decreased mobility. It is a chronic disease, the development of which can be influenced by several factors: heredity, lifestyle (unhealthy diet, obesity, etc.). Arthritis cannot be cured.
Studies have shown that excess body fat produces compounds that cause joint damage. Therefore, obesity plays not only a mechanical but also a systemic role in the development of osteoarthritis. Excess weight also has a devastating effect on the peripheral nervous system, causing nerve inflammation, radiculitis, and the like.
Losing weight reduces the risk of developing osteoarthritis, and it also significantly reduces the strain on your knees and lower back.
Infertility and pregnancy problems
Being overweight affects both pregnancy and childbirth and endangers the health of both mother and baby.
The greatest risks during pregnancy are preeclampsia, diabetes, and high blood pressure. There is a greater need for an emergency emperor and blood clots during childbirth.
There are also founded relations between obesity and infertility.
If you are overweight and want to become pregnant or are pregnant, be sure to consult your doctor or specialist to find the best diet and exercise plan that provides the number of nutrients your body needs to ensure good health for you and your baby.
Mental health
Our mental health is affected in many ways, and the social and collective worldview plays a major role here.
Societal norms are also set at an ideal weight. Unfortunately, only in an aesthetic form. In this way, overweight people are often ridiculed by their peers, leading to low self-esteem and often leading to self-isolation. This in turn causes even more emotional eating, depression and self-destructive behavior.
However, mental health is also directly related to our physical health.
Weight loss contributes to the improvement of general well-being – health improves, self-confidence and desire for more sociable activities, sports, grows, we feel motivated and a full member of society.
Our body functions as a whole, and one or another deviation can significantly cause disorders in the functioning of the body or serious health risks and diseases. Thus, being overweight is not just an aesthetic problem that we have learned to live with, but it also poses a great threat to vital organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, joints.
With less weight, reviewing and adjusting your daily habits will help. In the case of higher predominance, various bariatric operations have proven their effectiveness.
Contact us regarding weight loss surgery
Used sources:
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
