Consequences of Obesity
The words “fat” and “fit” can not agree with each other. While many people want to lose weight so that they can wear that body-hugging clothes, there are serious detrimental effects to health due to having too much fat in the body. The usual risks identified are heart diseases and a short life expectancy. People who survive beyond their 70th year lead relatively health lives and have little or zero overweight problems.
Other risks related to obesity include pregnancy complications, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, respiratory diseases, gallbladder diseases, and gynecological diseases.
Obesity increases the risk of coronary heart diseases in both men and women, due to the deposited cholesterol in blood vessels. Some forms of cardiovascular diseases are hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
Obesity has been identified as the cause of difficulties during pregnancies, not because of the large size but because of the high levels of cholesterol. An obese pregnant woman may have hypertension and gestational diabetes. If diabetes is severe, the birthing method that must be used is a caesarian delivery.
Obesity in women leads to various forms of cancer such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, gallbladder cancer, and uterine cancer. Obese men, on the other hand, become susceptible to colon cancer, rectum cancer, and prostate cancer. Cancerous cells develop when people indulge in consuming calories rather than take phytochemicals.
Diabetes is prevalent among obese people. The number of diabetic cases among overweight people is three times higher than among those with normal weight. The reason for this is that the stored fat triggers a series of chemical events inside the body and makes it less sensitive to insulin. The body fails to produce enough insulin that is supposed to break down carbohydrates. As a result, sugar levels rise dangerously.
Stored fat has weight. This adds to the burden that is being carried by the body’s skeletal system. The body joints experience additional stress. And it leads to a condition called osteo-arthritis. There are cases in which extreme obesity prevents a person from moving at all.
Stored fat on the abdomen and on the chest interferes with the breathing process. An obese person will have difficulty breathing properly. With less oxygen intake, he or she will experience lethargy and drowsiness, decreasing further the body’s rate of metabolism.
Stored fat in women also leads to gynecological problems such as ovarian dysfunction. When this happens, the overweight woman will have irregular menstrual cycles. She may also face infertility problems.
Gallstones also develop easier among individuals who have too much stored fat in their bodies. Gallstones can be removed by surgery. But an obese person faces a higher risk during surgery. Recovery will be slower.