Whether you are an adult, child or teen, obesity is a prevalent condition worldwide. The more overweight you are, the more you are at risk in developing several health problems.
Obesity is defined as having excess body weight which results from too much eating and lack of physical activity. It is considered as the second leading cause of death, next to cigarette smoking. The main causes of obesity include diet, sedentary lifestyle and genetics. But the main concern of being obese is the different health implications it develops.
Patients with central or abdominal obesity are at a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and insulin resistance syndrome. Central or abdominal obesity is defined as having excessive visceral fat around the stomach and abdomen.
There is also the health risk of developing congestive heart failure, heart attacks, sudden cardiac death, angina or chest pain. Obese patients also tend to by hypertensive or have high blood pressure. It is often associated with high triglycerides and decreased HDL (good) cholesterol. Having high triglycerides increases your risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Morbid obesity is a big factor in atherosclerosis, which is the narrowing of the arteries. When this happens, it can lead to the formation of an arterial blood clot. There is a big risk of developing atherosclerosis by hypertension, smoking, high cholesterol and lack of exercise or physical activity. It is also considered as a risk factor for stroke, chronic venous insufficiency and lower-limb ischemia.
Cancer of the lining of the uterus, colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney and post-menopausal cancer is another set of health risk factors. These conditions are more likely to happen in obese women.
Obesity can also lead to the development of gallstones. A rise in body mass index poses a risk for symptomatic gallstones to appear. Moreover, obese people tend to have interrupted breathing during sleeping and are prone to having asthma, bronchitis, hypoventilation syndrome and respiratory diseases.
And the health risks don’t end there. Obese people are more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, osteoarthritis, infertility, complications during pregnancy, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD) and urinary stress incontinence.
The more obese a person is, the more likely he is to have health problems. Generally, people who lose weight significantly increase their chances of having health benefits. Even without any of these health risks, it is still important to maintain a weight that is balanced to your height. It also pays to have a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle.