Having extra weight more than is necessary can be really harmful. You might be surprised to know that five out of the top ten chronic diseases are related directly to overweight and obesity. These two can be the source of some of the deadliest preventable health problems of our world today - high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and even cancer.
Added to the already mentioned health problems, diabetes which has also been linked to a number of less severe but still chronic health conditions including arthritis. It might sure surprise you to know that obesity has even been linked to premature aging. Being obese can make your body look years older you are. In addition to the impact on our own health, obesity affects society and those around us in general through the higher cost of health care. Let’s look at some of these problems in more depth.
Diabetes
Overweight and obesity are major causes of type 2 diabetes. When the body digests food, glucose, a form of sugar found in food moves into the bloodstream. The body is supposed to release a hormone called insulin which handles the released glucose. The pancreas releases insulin, and it triggers the opening of body cells so glucose can enter and be used for energy.
When the body’s cells resist the action of insulin, this is known as insulin resistance when this happens, glucose doesn’t move into the cells leading to type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease, so while it can be prevented and controlled, it cannot yet be cured.
If, too much stays in the blood. This makes a chemical imbalance in the body which increases the fats in the blood and which can damage the blood vessels, the pipelines through which blood travels to all parts of the body. Diabetes is a serious condition alone, but if controlled, it can lead to other serious health problems which includes blindness, heart disease, stroke, pregnancy complications, kidney disease, and circulation problems that can lead to amputations.
Carrying extra fat triggers insulin resistance. It is an established fact that more than three-fourths of all people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.
Findings suggest that for those people who are at high risk for diabetes, there is some hope on the horizon. With intensive lifestyle changes consisting of diet and exercise, overweight people who lost five percent of their body weight and who exercised moderately at least 30 minutes a day, reduced their risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.
People who already suffer from diabetes can also improve their health by losing 10% of their body weight. By losing weight, you help control your blood sugar levels, which, in turn, can lower the amount of medicines you need to take.
High cholesterol
Because overweight and obese people often eat diets high in trans and saturated fats, they often have high cholesterol levels. Roughly a quarter of those who are overweight or obese have high cholesterol. Unfortunately, there are reports that more than half of the world today has high cholesterol. This means that every other person that you see in the street is at risk for some sort of heart disease. The average person as it appears does not know and does not really care to know how their cholesterol stands. Since they cannot see the high cholesterol with their physical eyes, they feel they are healthy. You need to understand your cholesterol level in order to be able to deal with it. Do well to do regular checks with your doctor to know how healthy your cholesterol level is.
High cholesterol is a serious risk factor for stroke and heart disease. Eating less saturated fat, avoiding trans fat, and increasing the proportion of unsaturated fats and fiber in your diet can lower cholesterol levels.
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Heart Disease
Heart disease is a term that describes a variety of illnesses in which the heart doesn’t work or pump right and obesity and its associated complications are among the top risks for heart disease. Heart disease results when arteries that feed the heart are narrowed. It is responsible for about 40% of the deaths in the United States alone. Research has it that obese and overweight people are twice as likely to develop heart disease and are much more likely to die from it.
The risk of heart failure increases for every additional BMI point a person gains (that is about 4–8 pounds weight gain). The risk increases by 5% for men, and 7% for women for every 4-8 pounds of weight gain. Similarly, losing just 10% of your body weight can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by improving how your heart works and lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol. A diet high in saturated and trans fats has been shown to lead to heart disease. Considerable reduction in fat intake (especially saturated and trans fats) will be quite healthy
Check this out How To Prevent and even Cure Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
Obesity is a key risk for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Every time your heart beats, it pumps blood through arteries, exerting pressure (or force) on the inside of your blood vessels. This is called blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80. (The two numbers reflect the measurements of the pressure in the arteries when the heart is pumping and when it is resting If the pressure caused by the blood on the arteries is too high, it is known as high blood pressure. If this condition isn’t treated, it will cause damage to the arteries and put strain on the heart. This can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and blindness.
When a person gains weight, his or her blood levels also increase, causing the heart to pump more blood. The additional weight also can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise because it can increase cholesterol levels, which may lead to a further straining and hardening of the blood vessels and heart.
Losing weight helps lower blood pressure. Losing just 10 pounds if you are overweight will help to lower your blood pressure several points. The more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure will be. In addition to that, modest weight loss, with or without lowering the amount of sodium you consume, can lower your risk of developing high blood pressure by up to 20% if you are overweight and at high risk of developing the condition.
Stroke
Obesity is a risk factor for a stroke as well. A stroke is what happens when an artery carrying oxygen to the brain bursts or becomes blocked by a blood clot or some other particle. The brain doesn’t get enough oxygen and its nerve cells begin to die. The nerves in the brain control different parts and functions of the body and if the nerves die, then those parts or functions don’t work right. Obesity can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels and heart disease which are risk factors for stroke as well as being a risk factor itself. Stroke is the number three killer among all diseases. Losing weight seems to have a direct impact on lowering blood pressure, which is a key risk factor for stroke.
Sleep apnea
Obesity, particularly in the upper body, is the main risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which a person regularly stops breathing while asleep because of an obstruction in the airway. It can lead to fatigue during the day and difficulty with logical thinking skills. Studies assert that people who weigh more than 100 pounds are 12–30 times more likely to have sleep apnea. About 7% of obese children suffer from sleep apnea too. Two thirds of the people with obstructive sleep apnea are obese.
Obesity causes sleeping disorders, including daytime sleepiness. Losing weight can help to improve the symptoms of this condition.
Arthritis
Obesity has been linked to osteoarthritis and gout. Arthritis is pain, swelling, and stiffness in the body’s joints, which causes permanent damage to the joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common kind of arthritis and is observed to affects older people though obesity can cause it to happen at younger age. Obesity particularly affects osteoarthritis in the hands, hips, back, and knees. A good weight loss program can keep osteoarthritis in the knees from getting worse and can even get rid of symptoms of the condition.
Gout occurs when too much uric acid builds up in the body, leading to the development of needle-like crystals in the joints (particularly the big toe), uric acid under the skin, and kidney stones. Being overweight is linked to gout because there is more tissue in the body and more uric acid. An increase in uric acid also can be related to eating a diet heavy in certain foods, including alcohol or organ meats such as liver. Weight loss can lower the stress on knees, hips, and back and can improve the symptoms related to gout and arthritis. It should be noted that if you have suffered from gout before, you should talk to your doctor before beginning a diet. Some diets increase uric acid in the body for a period of time, and this can lead to a flare up of the condition.
Cancer
Obesity is a risk factor for several types of cancer. They include post-menopausal breast cancer, kidney cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, and endometrial cancer. Obesity and a lack of physical activity may account for 25–30% of these cancers. Some studies have reported links between obesity and cancers of the gallbladder, ovaries, and pancreas. Other cancers - including of the liver, stomach, prostate, and cervix - have a higher death rate for those with a higher BMI.
Women who gain nearly 45 pounds after age 18 are twice as likely to develop breast cancer. Almost half of post-menopausal women are obese. Men who are morbidly obese have cancer death rates that are 52% higher than their non-obese peers; women’s rates are 62% higher! It is estimated that obesity could be linked to as many as one fifth of all cancer deaths. Information about how exercise impacts cancer rates is lacking, but recent studies suggest that getting regular moderate exercise can lower colon cancer risk. Further studies are necessary to take a definite link, though.
Societal impact
Obesity has a very real cost to society in terms of its direct health care costs: $61 billion. Among children and teens, annual hospital costs related to obesity have more than tripled over the last 20 years, now reaching $127 million.
There are estimates that by 2020, one fifth of all health care dollars spent on adults ages between 50 and 69 will be on obesity-related medical problems, double what it was in 2000. The obesity-related disability rate of that group also will grow by about 20%. In addition to health care costs, obesity leads to lost productivity. More than 39 million workdays are lost every year due to obesity.
The good news is that the same steps you take to lose weight (eating a healthier diet and exercising) also are steps to lowering your risk of many of these health problems. By changing your lifestyle, you are protecting yourself from some very serious conditions at the same time.
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