- Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, at least 300 million of them obese.
- Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer.
- The key causes are increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.
Health Problems Related to Severe Obesity Scary but true
Severe obesity is a serious health condition that can lead to an earlier death. An individual who is 20% heavier than his or her ideal weight (determined by standard medical and insurance data) is considered obese. Severe obesity, more than 100 pounds overweight, occurs when the body stores excess energy in the form of fat. It is a complex disorder that may be the result of biochemical, physiologic, genetic or inherited influences on weight maintenance. Environmental, cultural, socioeconomic and psychological influences may be contributing factors. A variety of medical problems, including high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, sleep apnea, depression and arthritis, have been associated with being overweight.
Cardiovascular problems are common among obese people. High blood pressure can lead to the development of heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. Severely obese people are approximately six times more likely to develop heart disease. The heart in an obese person is required to work harder, which can lead to early development of congestive heart failure. Severely obese people often have elevated cholesterol levels in the blood, which can contribute to heart disease and the hardening of blood vessels. Diabetes, which frequently strikes the obese, is another risk factor for developing coronary heart disease.
An overweight person is 10 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes (adult-onset diabetes). High blood-sugar levels in diabetics damage body tissues. Diabetes is a major cause of kidney failure and is the leading cause of adult-onset blindness. Diabetes causes over one half of limb amputations and is the third leading cause of death in the
Obesity can also cause respiratory problems. Breathing is difficult as the lungs are decreased in size, and the chest wall is very heavy and difficult to lift. Daily activities such as shopping, yard work, stair climbing and exercise may be hindered by breathing problems.
While obesity does not cause asthma or bronchitis, it interferes with breathing and may aggravate an attack. Obesity, however, may cause sleep apnea, a serious condition that occurs when people stop breathing during sleep. When soft tissue in the throat collapses around the airway, a complete blockage occurs and the person stops breathing. In the long-term, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances and sudden death.
For the severely obese, particularly those over 350 pounds, obesity hypoventilation is a concern. Often associated with sleep apnea, this abnormal breathing condition results in the accumulation of toxic levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Musculoskeletal problems, such as low back pain and arthritis, are common among the obese. Because the entire weight of the upper body falls on the base of the spine, the spine may wear out in obese people, resulting in arthritis of the spine or disc problems. Most of the weight of the body is borne by the hips, knees, ankles and feet, which tend to wear out more quickly in obese people, resulting in arthritis. Obese patients have poorer results with joint replacement surgery and some surgeons refuse to perform such surgery on severely overweight people.
Obese people are more likely to have heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) where stomach acid backs up into the esophagus. Increased stomach pressure from abdominal fat results in a high rate of reflux in obese people.
Urinary incontinence may result from a large, heavy abdomen that causes the valve on the urinary bladder to be weakened. As a result, leakage of urine may occur when coughing, sneezing or laughing.
Venous stasis disease, or diseased blood veins in the legs, may occur in obese people. The pressure of a large abdomen may increase the workload on delicate valves in the veins of the lower legs, eventually causing damage or destruction. Blood in the leg veins, which is normally carried to the heart, backs up, causing higher pressure in these veins. This leads to swelling, thickening of the skin and sometimes skin ulcers.
Obesity may also cause female hormone abnormalities or an alteration in the balance of female sex hormones. Infertility, ovarian cysts, and absent or irregular menstrual periods may result.
In addition to a supervised diet and exercise program, obese individuals may benefit from surgical treatments, which may provide dramatic improvement in their health.
Source : http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/
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