Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may hurt your health. People are generally considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person’s weight by the square of the person’s height, exceeds 30 kg/m 2, with the range 25-30 kg/m 2 defined as overweight.
There are many health consequences of obesity, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, stroke, arthritis, and sleep apnea. Obesity increases the likelihood of early death. If you are obese, you need to work with a Vienna, VA weight loss specialist to shed some weight and lead a healthy life.
In this article, we look at the health risks of being obese. Read on to learn more.
- Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or cells do not react to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and allows your body’s cells to use glucose for energy. Type II diabetes leads to high blood sugar and high amounts of glucose in the urine, leading to heart disease, kidney disease, and blindness. If you are obese, you have a risk of developing diabetes in the future. So do what it takes to shed off some weight and lead a healthy life.
- Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure
Obesity also increases your risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. This happens because excess fat interferes with the proper functioning of the heart. It also causes inflammation in arteries, leading to high blood pressure and increasing the risk of clogged arteries, leading to heart attack or stroke. You can prevent this by getting rid of excess weight through proper dieting and exercise routine.
- Sleep Apnea
Obesity increases the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) because the fat in the chest area and neck can obstruct a person’s airway when he is sleeping, disrupting his sleep. The sleeper struggles to breathe through the narrowed or blocked airway but then falls into a deeper sleep and later wakes up tired because of lack of quality sleep.
- Lung Disease
People who are obese have a high risk of developing asthma; being overweight causes the muscles in your chest wall to work harder, making them tired, which makes breathing even more difficult for obese people. You are likely to develop obstructive lung disease if you are obese because of the increased pressure on the lungs and airways due to excess fat around your abdomen.
- Arthritis
Obesity increases the risk of arthritis because excess weight causes stress on the joints and can result in pain and stiffness. Obesity is a major cause of osteoarthritis (a disorder caused by injury or overuse of a joint), especially in the knees, hips, lower back, and neck.
In summary, obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may hurt your health. It comes with various health risks. Usually, it increases your chances of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, lung disease, sleep apnea, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
