The Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity

Losing just a little weight will immediately take strain away from your heart, and losing 10% can improve your heart’s function and reduce blood cholesterol.

Heart Disease and Stroke

Being overweight can cause high-blood pressure and lead to angina. Higher cholesterol in the blood can clog the arteries and blood vessels causing vascular disease, and risk of stroke and heart attack. This is because high-blood pressure and vascular disease creates resistance that causes the heart to work harder, eventually it will collapse under pressure.

Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common and is caused by the body’s inability to control blood sugar. It is a leading factor in premature death caused by heart disease, stroke and can cause kidney disease and lead to blindness. Being overweight means you are twice as likely to become diabetic.

Losing weight if you have diabetes type 2 can help to manage your blood sugar and reduce the risk of heart disease and other health risks.

Cancer

Several types of cancer have a higher incidence in obesity, including breast, uterine, cervical, bowel among others. It is unclear whether it is due to the extra weight, or the higher blood fats, which also cause weight gain, however, losing weight does decrease the risk of some cancers.

Joint problems

Obesity can cause osteoarthritis, because of the extra strain on the joints, and can cause gout due to excess wastes in the joint spaces which form crystals. These are painful disorders of the joints.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is associated with obesity and is a major cause of sleep disturbance which can have an impact on our health and how we feel.

Digestion problems

As well as sluggish digestion, irritable bowel, diarrhoea, constipation and heartburn, obesity can lead to gallstones and gallbladder disease, and also liver disease.sometimes requiring surgery.

Watching what you eat and keeping the weight off will greatly decrease your risk fof developing these these conditions.