Health Risks That Come with Obesity

Tuesday, 12 May 2009 10:33

Many wish to have weight loss surgery to lose weight because they are unhappy in their own bodies and wish for a better overall physical appearance. However, many may not realize the additional real dangers that come with being overweight. Obesity brings significant risk factors to your health and well-being. Besides being a known cause of diabetes, obesity is also known to cause breathing problems (which includes asthma and sleep apnea), arthritis, and heart disease, among other things.  Additionally, an obese person is also more likely to die prematurely than an average-weight person. According to the Office of the United States Surgeon General, about 300,000 people die every year from obesity, and the risk of death rises with the amount of weight that is gained.

Obesity is a contributing cause of death and many other health problems because excess weight makes it harder for the body to function on a daily basis. Fortunately, many of the aforementioned health risks, and other health factors, such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, can be decreased or eliminated with weight loss.

Breathing Problems

Extra weight can make it harder for the lungs to get enough air in and out of the body. Because of this, many obese people face asthma, sleep apnea, and regular shortness of breath. Medical News Today reports that in the May 2005 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the Physiology Program at the Harvard School of Public Health reported that there are many factors in the obese that contribute to asthma. These include narrow airways, chronic inflammation from fat tissue, and the under-expansion of the lungs. Additionally, hormones, such as leptin, may also contribute towards causing chronic asthma.

Sleep apnea is also another breathing problem among the obese. Sleep apnea is defined, according to the National Heart Lung Blood Institute in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as the absence of breathing during sleep. The NHLBI  reports that weight loss  of 10% or more from an altered diet or weight loss surgery may lessen the severity (up to 50%) of sleep apnea in some sufferers.

Arthritis & Joint Paint

Arthritis is another major health risk for the obese and overweight. Even a 2-pound weight gain increases the risk of developing arthritis and joint pain. The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center reports that overweight women are about 4 times more likely to experience osteoarthritis; for overweight men, it is 5 times. Excess weight increases the pressure placed on joints and cartilage.

Heart Disease and Other Cardiovascular Problems

According to the Texas Heart Institute at St. Paul's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, overweight and obese people have a greater risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular problems because they have many of the known major and contributing factors for heart problems-- high cholesterol and blood pressure, physical inactivity, and diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is a major problem in the United States-- about 2,400 people die every day from it, making it the number one killer, right above cancer.

The morbidly obese aren't the only ones that need to worry about their health. Even moderate weight gain can increase health risks- especially for middle-aged adults ranging from 30 to 64 years of age. The growing obesity problem in the United States shouldn't be ignored. Taking steps now to get down to a healthy weight will decrease these risks and ensure greater self-confidence and a longer and more fulling life.