Understanding the health consequences of obesity

Russell

Obesity is a topic that goes deeper than just skin. Obesity is not just about struggling in tight fitting jeans, it’s about what happens in your body when you give it space for more fat. For fat that was never supposed to be there in the first place. It can take you on a ride from hormonal crazies to inflammation accidents and more. Today, we will be discussing all the obesity risks. 

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a condition defined by an excessive and unevenly distributed amount of fat in a body. Because this excess fat puts strain on your organs, obesity-related diseases and complications start to show up. Not just that, obesity brings complex changes in your hormones and metabolism and increases body inflammation.

A person with obesity may have a 30 or higher BMI. 

It doesn’t always mean that being obese will bring all the following health problems to you, but it certainly does increase the chances of developing them. Let’s discuss the obesity risks.

Heart disease

Heart diseases and obesity have a strong correlation and are more common in obese people. The arteries that supply blood to your heart may accumulate fatty deposits over course of time. Obese people have a blood pressure that is higher than usual, LDL, triglycerides, and blood sugar. All these can increase your risk of heart disease. If your arteries get narrower, it can lead to a heart attack.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a health condition where breathing may stop during sleep. Overweight and obese people are more at risk of developing sleep apnea. This is because obese people may have excessive fat around their neck, which makes their airways smaller and makes it difficult to breathe at night. 

Trying weight loss methods is a great way to tackle this because it can help reduce fat around the neck and make breathing easy, avoiding obesity risks like sleep apnea.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is another risk associated with being overweight. When your blood glucose is higher than the normal range, it can lead to type 2 diabetes. Other issues that add to it are nerve damage, kidney complications, vision issues, stroke, and heart disease. 

If you’re obese, trying to get rid of even 5% of your weight with the help of regular workouts can help in the prevention of type 2 diabetes or delaying it. 

Stroke

A stroke is something that occurs when the blood supply to your heart is either very low or not happening at all. Strokes can damage the tissues of your brain and trigger problems like weak muscles, speech and language impairment, and problems in thinking and reasoning skills.

High blood pressure

When there’s more fat in the body, there’s a requirement for more oxygen and nutrients too. Eventually, there will be a need to supply more blood to your fat tissues. It leads to your heart having to work harder to supply blood all across your body. The increase in circulation pressurises your artery walls, leading to high blood pressure and hypertension. When this keeps happening for a longer duration, it can cause damage to your body, especially your heart and arteries.

Gallbladder disease

Your gallbladder stores bile, which is passed on to your small intestine for better digestion. It also helps you digest fats. An obese person is more at risk of developing stones in their gallbladder. Gallstones are the hardened bile inside your gallbladder. 

Cholesterol in the bile or having poorly functioning large gallbladders are two reasons that can cause gallstones in obese people. Gallstones tend to be very hurtful and can only be surgically removed.

Something that can help avoid gallstones is a high-fibre diet and avoiding refined grains.

Liver problems

Obese people are more at risk of developing NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis). If excess fat gets accumulated in your liver, it can harm the liver or make the scar tissue grow (Cirrhosis).

Usually, there are no visible symptoms of fatty liver disease, but it is very dangerous and can lead to liver failure. Some ways to manage or reverse it could be weight loss, exercise, and avoiding alcohol consumption. 

Fatty liver disease usually has no symptoms, but it can eventually lead to liver failure. The only way to reverse or manage the disease is to lose weight, exercise, and avoid drinking alcohol.

Cancer 

The correlation between obesity and cancer isn’t clear as it is with stroke and heart disease in obese people. However, being obese can increase the chances of developing cancers of the kidney, pancreas, breast, uterus, cervix, ovaries, and prostate.

Pregnancy issues

Overweight pregnant women can develop issues with insulin resistance, high blood glucose, or high blood pressure. It leads to problems during pregnancy and delivery such as gestational diabetes, premature birth, stillbirth, miscarriage, having to do a cesarean delivery, blood clots, and brain and spinal cord defects.

As an obese or overweight woman, if you’re planning to give birth, it’s best to begin with a weight management plan to avoid any possible risks to you or your baby. Consult a healthcare professional and discuss how you can have a safe childbirth journey.

Depression

A lot of obese people struggle with depression because of the emotional toll the condition has on them. These factors are both internal and external. Studies say that there’s a definite association between depression and obesity, making it one of the significanthealth risks of obesity.

Obese people may experience bullying or body shaming. Such experiences can affect your headspace and create a lack of self-worth. However, help is now available in better and varied forms than before. If you ever feel the need for one, reach out without hesitation. You can also ask your doctor to recommend a mental health counsellor.

Final Word

Don’t forget, your health is your greatest asset. Anything you do in life, you’re able to do because your health is good. It’s best not to take it lightly. Each step you take to better your health is a victory in itself. It could be swapping a sugary snack for something healthy, getting an active hobby for fun exercising, and so on. Keep making the right decisions, avoid obesity risks, and start treating your health like your baby. TatvaCare provides healthcare solutions to make access to healthcare convenient and simple. MyTatva is our personal healthcare assistant for individuals. You can download and register on the app and join a data-backed, personalised weight loss or obesity treatment programme. These are led by coaches who provide tailored diet and exercise plans to help you achieve your desired weight. On our website, you can read more obesity-related blogs here. For any queries or feedback regarding our services or products, call us on +9199740 42363 or write to us at support@tatvacare.in.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Devina Aswal

MBBS, DDM, FCR, CIC