Obesity Effect on Your Life
One of the hardest health issues to deal with is weight. There are millions of Americans who are overweight and many of these people are considered to be obese. In fact, obesity is a direct cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.
Thousands of these deaths are in people who have a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30. If a person has a BMI of more than 40, they can expect to have a much shorter life span than they would have otherwise.
When a person suffers from obesity, they are likely to have a number of health issues. They will probably have difficulties with many movements and will usually get very little exercise.
Sometimes, it is even difficult for those who are morbidly obese to be able to even get out of bed.
Obese people will be tired a lot because they have too much weight to carry and they are not getting the proper nutrition. And they often have difficulties breathing.
Health Risks Related to Obesity
When a person is obese, being overweight often becomes the least of their problems. Those who are obese face a number of health risks, including osteoarthritis, gout, gall stones, and sleep disorders. Some of the more serious conditions that can develop as a result of obesity include insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure, cancer, and other conditions.
Insulin Resistance – One of the biggest causes of insulin resistance is obesity. Insulin is necessary for transporting blood sugars into fat and muscle cells. Fat cells are far more resistant to insulin than other cells and when a person is obese, they have so many fat cells that their bodies are not able to use insulin properly. This can lead to diabetes and kidney failure.
Diabetes – There are three types of diabetes, Type 1, Type 2, and gestational. When a person is obese, they are at a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, also referred to as adult onset diabetes. This is more common in obese people who carry the majority of their weight in their mid sections, or are apple-shaped.
Hypertension – This is also referred to as high blood pressure and is a common affliction in people who are obese. Studies have shown that this is more common in obese women than in men, and again, is more common in those who are apple-shaped.
Heart Attack – Women who have a BMI that is higher than 29 are at risk of having a heart attack. Obesity in males and females is a leading cause of coronary artery disease, putting these people at a much greater risk of having a heart attack than those who have a lower BMI. If a person is obese and has already had a heart attack, the likelihood of a second attack is great.
Stroke – A stroke can be caused by hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes, all problems associated with obesity. Because those who are obese often eat foods that are high in fat, the arteries become clogged, and not enough blood gets through to the brain, causing strokes.
Congestive Heart Failure – This condition occurs when the heart is weakened and this can be caused by many things, including disease and obesity. A person with congestive heart failure also risks other health problems, including weakened kidneys, congested lungs, edema (swelling in the ankles and feet), and the intestines may not function properly.
Cancer – Obesity has been linked with certain types of cancers, including colon cancer in both women and men, rectum and prostate cancer in men, cancer of the uterus, and the gallbladder. It may even be linked to breast cancer.
Anyone who is obese needs to be seen by a physician regularly, because the obesity can cause a number of health problems to develop, and where a person has none of the above conditions on one visit to the doctor, they may have signs of one or more on their next visit. This is another reason why it is so important to try to do everything possible to take off the excess weight.
Dealing With Obesity
Pretty much anyone who is obese has probably tried their fair share of diets, only to find that they did not stay on them very long, or that they did not work in the first place. When a person is obese, their number one priority in life should be getting the excess weight off, in order to ensure their good health and a long life.
Often, obesity can be dealt with through diet and exercise, but the diets are usually extremely restricted and those who go on them must want to lose the weight and have the willpower to do it. In many cases, there are people who are so obese that they must be hospitalized in order for their diets to be monitored, to make sure that they are getting enough of the right foods and none of the foods that will not be good for them.
For many people who are obese, they are able to lose weight through a healthy diet and exercise program. For many others, it is not always quite so simple.
There are many people who are considered to be morbidly obese, and in a lot of cases, bariatric surgery is recommended.
There are different types of bariatric surgery, and for all, a portion of the stomach is cut off from the rest, making the patient unable to eat as much as they could previously.
This helps improve their chances of losing weight and not having to struggle with obesity any longer.
Of course, it is important to eat right and get enough exercise, or this type of surgery will have no result.
