7 Health Risks of Being Overweight

7-Health-Risks-of-Being-Overweight

Obesity, in particular, impairs practically every area of health, from reproductive and pulmonary function to mental and emotional health. It raises the risk of a number of severe and fatal diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and some malignancies.

This illness reduces life quality and length while increasing individual, national, and global healthcare expenses. The good news is that losing weight can reduce some of the risks associated with obesity.

Here's a closer look at several disorders you may have with obesity.

Type 2 diabetes

Obesity is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Obese people are approximately 6 times more likely to have high blood sugar. If you are obese, you have various therapy choices to assist you to lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes.

Treatments that help you shed excess weight and become more physically active can also help you control your blood sugar levels.

Gout

Gout is an inflammatory disease caused by an excess of uric acid in the blood. The excess uric acid can form crystals in the joints, causing pain.

Obese people are more likely to develop gout. This could be linked to insulin resistance. In fact, the American College of Rheumatology advocates losing weight as part of the therapy for gout in obese persons.

If you have a family history of gout, consult your physician about the best strategy to lose weight. Maybe, you'll need weight loss surgery.

Cancer

Extra weight can lead to cancers of the colon, breast (after menopause), endometrial (uterine lining), kidneys, esophagus, gallbladder, ovaries, and pancreas. Around 684,000 overweight people in the United States each year have cancers. As your BMI rises, so does your chance of cancer and death.

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is a widespread joint disorder that most commonly affects the knee, hip, or back. Carrying extra pounds puts additional strain on these joints and tears away the cartilage (tissue that cushions the joints) that should protect them.

Weight loss can reduce stress on the knees, hips, and lower back, as well as relieve osteoarthritis symptoms.

Reproduction

Obesity can affect several aspects of reproduction, including sexual activity and conception.

Being overweight raises the risk of early and late miscarriage, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and problems during labor and delivery during pregnancy. It also increases the risks of having a child with congenital abnormalities marginally.

Though it has a less evident impact on male fertility, it can induce reduced sperm count (oligospermia) and poor sperm motility (asthenospermia) in some circumstances.

Obesity may also affect sexual function. With overweight, the chances of experiencing erectile dysfunction increase. Weight loss appears to be minimally helpful in maintaining erectile function.

Respiratory Disease

Fat inhibits respiratory function through mechanical and metabolic processes. Abdominal fat, for example, may inhibit diaphragm descent and hence lung expansion, but visceral fat accumulation might diminish chest wall flexibility, sap respiratory muscle strength, and narrow airways in the lungs.

Cytokines released by a low-profile inflammatory disease linked to obesity may compromise lung function and lead to asthma and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Excess weight strains bones, muscles, and joints mechanically and metabolically. An estimated 46 million persons (about one in every five) in the United States have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Obesity is connected with knee and hip osteoarthritis, and obese people account for one-third of all joint replacement surgeries. Obesity also increases the likelihood of back discomfort, lower limb pain, and impairment caused by musculoskeletal diseases.

In conclusion

Obesity negatively impacts almost every aspect of health, from reducing the life expectancy and contributing to chronic illnesses. Being overweight is not always a lifelong problem. Weight loss can be achieved through diet, exercise, medications, and even surgery. However, losing weight is far more difficult than gaining it.

Obesity prevention, beginning at a young age and continuing throughout one's life, has the potential to dramatically enhance individual and public health, minimize suffering, and save billions of dollars in healthcare costs each year. 

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Thursday, 07 November 2024