Know the Risks Associated with Obesity

The unhealthy diets and haphazard lifestyles of the present times have contributed to an alarming increase in obesity rates in both kids and adults.

And it's not just a cosmetic problem. Obesity has also cropped up as a major health issue leading to a numerous ailments and complications. As per medical standards, if a person's Body Mass Index (BMI) is higher than 30, he or she is obese. At the moment, the condition has been elevated to a serious public health problem and is becoming a cause of many fatalities worldwide.

In this piece, we'll discuss some of the grave risks associated with obesity. For information on how to battle obesity, refer to our 'Weight Management' category under the 'Health' section. Recent studies indicate that an obese person is likely to develop one or more of these problems:

High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is strongly attached to obesity. Presence of additional body fat leads to the circulation of more blood to those tissues as they need oxygen and nutrients to survive. This requires the heart to pump more blood and in this process the work load on the heart and the pressure on the artery walls go up.

Type 2 Diabetes

Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, also called Type 2 Diabetes, is another common health problem among obese patients. Research data shows that such people are twice as likely to develop diabetes. This condition is one of the chief causes of early death, kidney disease, heart disease and even blindness.

Heart Diseases and Stroke

An obese person has 10 times more chances of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) as compared to a non-obese person! Other heart ailments like Coronary Heart Disease (CAD) and heart attack are more common in bulky and obese people. Such people may also develop high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides which is linked to a number of heart ailments and stroke.

Cancer

Overweight men are quite prone to developing cancer of the rectum, colon and prostrate, whereas women are likely to develop breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cancer of the uterus.

Sleep Apnea

This is a sleeping disorder in which the patient snores heavily and his breathing rate is abnormally low. The risk of sleep apnea increases with higher body weights but can be countered with lifestyle changes and effective weight-loss programs.

Osteoarthritis

A fat person's joints have to withstand extra pressure. This can lead to the wearing out of the protective cartilage in between the joints, the condition being knows as Osteoarthritis. This is particularly seen in weight-bearing joints like knee, hips and lower back joints. This unnecessary pressure on joints can be lessened by regular weight loss exercise and a balanced diet