Medical conditions related to obesity are serious and can be life threatening. If you are faced with these medical conditions, it is imperative you take steps to lose weight if you want to improve your health and live a full life.
More than Cosmetics
In today's culture some people want to spin facts about obesity and turn it around to be about looks or being accepted the way you are. When it comes to medical conditions related to obesity, it isn't about whether or not people think you look good. It's about what is going on inside the body that makes a difference in your quality of life and, even perhaps, in the length of your life. People who carry around 40 percent more weight than is ideal are two times as likely to die a premature death.
Medical Conditions Related to Obesity
Many conditions related to obesity have become so commonplace, people think nothing of taking medication to manage the problem(s), but they often don't consider weight loss seriously enough as a method to eliminate or lessen the symptoms. These medical conditions include:
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Gallbladder disease
- Gallstones
- Gout
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea
- Stroke
Obesity and Heart Disease
The leading causes of death and disability in the United States are heart disease and stroke. The connection between obesity and heart disease is that people who are overweight are two times as likely to also suffer with high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Overweight is also a factor in chest pain (angina) and decreased oxygen supplies to the heart. If you are experiencing these problems talk with your doctor to see what steps she recommends to help you lose weight and relieve symptoms. If you are overweight and seem to be in fine health, it's important to note that heart disease doesn't always give you warning signs. Sudden death can strike without a single warning. That's why it is important to take steps now to lose excess weight.
Obesity and Diabetes
Obesity statistics show approximately eight out of ten people who have type 2 diabetes are also overweight or obese. Extra weight, especially around the mid section is a leading cause of type 2 diabetes. This disease reduces the body's ability to control blood sugar which can make losing weight more challenging, but not impossible. To lose weight, you'll need change your diet and become more active.
Losing Weight Makes a Difference
It's easy to reason that extra weight isn't that bad. Half your friends are overweight, and losing weight takes time and isn't easy for many of us. Swallowing a pill seems to be a simpler way to deal with many of the problems related to obesity, and it is easier but medication it isn't the whole answer relative to your health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just under 40 percent of the adult population over 20 years old in America is now obese. When you consider health conditions linked to obesity, it's easy to see the correlation between the rise in type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions corresponding to the rise in obesity. Doctors agree the risks for these conditions increase as an already obese person continues to gain weight. In the same way, if you take steps to bring your weight down, it can help improve your health. In some cases, people who drop the extra weight are able to discontinue medications.
Other Risk Factors
While obesity plays a big role in many of the conditions listed in this article, there are other factors that also come into play. For people 20 percent above their healthy weight, these other factors can play a significant role in increasing your risks:
- Family history: If heart disease or diabetes runs in your family, you increase your chances of following in their footsteps if you are obese.
- Body shape: If you carry extra weight around the middle, you are at increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
While looking good and feeling better about yourself can motivate some people to lose weight, shedding extra pounds to reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and other such conditions is not always as instantly gratifying. One is like a short term investment and the other is a life-time investment. They both pay off in different ways.
