5 Major Health Risks That Might Result From Being Overweight
A major challenge with being overweight is that the problem does not just stop at your weight. It affects other areas of your life, including your mental and physical health, and opens doors to many more health problems you would rather avoid.
Obesity is now considered an epidemic in the US, with more than a third of adults suffering from the condition. One of the difficulties of resolving obesity is that it demands a serious lifestyle shift that will affect your everyday life in a myriad of ways.
Even so, such a shift is worthwhile because it allows you to not only enjoy your life a lot more, but you also avoid a host of health problems, some of which are life-threatening.
Here are 5 of most serious health risks that could result from being overweight:
1. Type 2 Diabetes
When you suffer from diabetes, your body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, which means your blood glucose levels are not well regulated. Type 2 diabetes is highly associated with early death, strokes, kidney disease, coronary heart disease and even blindness.
A 2014 report by Public Health England states that being overweight or obese is the main modifiable risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
According to the report, 90 percent of adults with Type 2 diabetes in England were overweight or obese in 2014.
A 2015 study published by Nature Medicine reports that obesity causes inflammation, which in turn leads to Type 2 diabetes. The inflammatory molecule LTB4 promotes insulin resistance. Via Home Remedies
2. High Blood Pressure
One in every three adults in the US suffers from high blood pressure or hypertension. A person is at greater risk of high blood pressure with weight gain and age.
A 2009 study published in the Ochsner Journal highlights the connection between obesity and hypertension. The study emphasizes that weight loss, though difficult, must be the first line of therapy for treating hypertension.
Later, a 2012 study of 885 apparently healthy adolescents in Nigeria published in BMC Public Health found that the prevalence of hypertensive-range blood pressure among obese Nigerian adolescents was high. The study recommended screening for childhood obesity and hypertension. Via Home Remedies
3. High Cholesterol
We all have some cholesterol in our systems, but when you have this condition, it means that your levels of bad cholesterol are too high while your good cholesterol levels are too low.
A 2004 study published in the International Journal of Obesity analyzed the relationship between total cholesterol, age and BMI among males and females in the WHO MONICA Project.
Researchers concluded that public health measures should be directed at the prevention of obesity in young adults since it increases the risk of excess cholesterol in the bloodstream. Via Home Remedies
4. Cancer
Being overweight has been established as a risk factor for developing cancer, which is the second-leading cause of death in the US. Some of the cancer types associated with obesity include breast, kidney, colon, gallbladder, uterus and rectum cancer. In fact, the rate of cancer deaths among obese individuals is quite high.
A 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that higher BMI in both men and women was significantly associated with higher rates of death due to cancer of the esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, breast, uterus, cervix and kidney.
Later, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Obesity also shed light on the connection between obesity and cancer, irrespective of gender and site specification. Via Home Remedies
5. Reproductive Problems
Obesity in both men and women can lead to reproductive problems. Some of them include infertility and menstrual issues in women, and low sperm count, erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in men.
A 2008 study by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine reports that obesity increases the risk of many complications of pregnancy and is associated with menstrual dysfunction, decreased fertility and increased risk of miscarriages. The study even recommends weight loss before pregnancy is prudent for young women…
Obesity even affects fertility in men. A 2012 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reports that men who are overweight or obese are at a greater risk for infertility.
As compared with men of normal weight, obese men are more likely to have a low sperm count or not have any viable sperms. Via Home Remedies
Losing excess weight will dramatically change your life and reduce your risk factors for these and many more health conditions. If you would like professional help for weight loss, call us at 585-396-0527, or fill out the contact form on our website.
