Obesity & Its Negative Affects On Your Health
We’ve all heard the warning, yet for many of us, we can’t seem to stop gaining the weight. Many factors contribute to weight gain including poor eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle and psychosocial causes. Obesity represents the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Currently, sixty-six percent of American adults are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Obesity is a serious, chronic disease that can inflict substantial harm to a person’s health. The severity of obesity is measured by the Body-Mass-Index (BMI), which is a ratio of height and weight. Generally, individuals with a BMI greater than 30 are considered overweight and have a higher probability of developing medical problems related to their obesity.
How Obesity Affects Your Health
Each year, obesity-related conditions cost over 100 billion dollars and cause premature deaths in the US. The health affects associated with obesity include, but are not limited to, the following:
High Blood Pressure – Additional fat stored places the body into an infl ammatory state. The body reacts by releasing a multitude of hormones and chemicals into the blood stream which promote fl uid retention leading to higher blood pressure.
Diabetes – Obesity is the major cause of type 2 diabetes. Obesity can cause resistance to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. When obesity causes insulin resistance, the blood sugar becomes elevated. Diabetes causes a myriad of issues with the organs of the body.
Heart Disease – Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) occurs more often in obese people compared to those who are not obese. This process affects all blood vessels, including the coronary arteries, which can lead to chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.
Sleep Apnea – Sleep apnea, which causes people to stop breathing for brief periods, interrupts sleep throughout the night and causes sleepiness during the day.
Cancer – In women, being overweight contributes to an increased risk for a variety of cancers including breast, colon and uterine. Men who are overweight have a higher risk of colon and prostate cancers.
Psychosocial Affects – Depression and obesity are closely related. The cycle of depression can lead to overeating and a sedentary lifestyle which compounds weight gain.