Medical complications related to obesity

Medical complications related to obesity

Obesity has been linked to life-threatening diseases like heart diseases, and diabetes.  Some of the common problems caused by obesity are:

• High blood pressure.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Strokes (Brain attacks).
• Heart problems including Heart attacks.
• Breathing problems.
• Diabetes.
• Gall bladder stones.
• Hernias.
• Varicose veins.
• Low libido.
• Low self-esteem.
• Ugly looks.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Depression.
• Loss of libido
• Flat Feet.
• Back aches.
• Gout.
• Reduced Life Span.

If you are obese, your heart has to put in more effort to pump blood to the lungs and the excess fat in the body.  This causes the heart to become larger leading to high blood pressure and the heartbeats being thrown out of rhythm.  Unless your heart disease is a result of some serious genetic problem, regular exercise, a diet that is low in fat and reducing your stress levels can help you to combat and slow down the heart ailments. Because of their tendency toward high cholesterol levels, the obese sometimes suffer from arteriosclerosis, which is the partial or complete blockage of the arteries due to deposition of plaque.  This can be fatal if the arteries of the heart, brain, or kidneys become blocked depriving these vital organs of blood.  Restricted arteries also compel the heart to work harder to pump blood, thereby, increasing the blood pressure.  This leads to various health risks like heart attack, kidney failure and apoplexy.  

It is believed that carcinogens are stored in body fat.  Clinical tests have shown the link between excess body fat and higher rate of breast and uterine cancer in women, and of increased rates of colon and prostate cancer among men. 

There is also a relationship between obesity and diabetes.  The liver and other organs store the excessive blood sugar.  When these organs are satiated with blood sugar, it is changed into fat.  Lesser and lesser blood sugar is absorbed by the fat cells as they glut on their own.  Sometimes in obese people, to control the level of blood sugar, the pancreas increases the production of insulin leading to an imbalance in the system.  This causes diabetes, a protracted disease which can lead to dangerous consequences like blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and even death.

Diseases of the gall bladder, gastro-intestines and osteoarthritis have also been linked to excess of body fat.  By reducing fat one can improve high density-lipoprotein (HDL) (good) cholesterol and reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) (bad) cholesterol, triglyceride levels, waist-to-hip ratio and blood pressure.  By following a healthy diet and by avoiding a passive way of life you can reduce the incidence of heart diseases, cancers, sleep disorders, frequency of hospitalization and duration of stay, and the risk of post-operative complications.