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Health effects of obesity:
The US Surgeon General has declared that overweight
and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in this country. One in three US
adults are overweight or obese and 15 percent of children between the ages of
six and 19 are overweight. Public health officials say physical inactivity and
poor diet are catching up to tobacco as a significant threat to health.
Currently, about 35 percent of women and 31 percent of men are considered
seriously overweight.
Obesity is a serious, chronic disease that can inflict substantial harm
to a person’s health. Overweight and obesity are not the same; rather, they
are different points on a continuum of weight ranging from being underweight
to being morbidly obese. The percentage of people who fit into these two
categories, overweight and obese, is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI
is a measure of weight proportionate to height. BMI is considered a useful
measurement of the amount of body fat.
Occasionally, some very muscular people may have a BMI in the overweight
range. However, these people are not considered overweight because muscle
tissue weighs more than fat tissue. Generally, BMI can be considered an
effective way to evaluate whether a person is overweight or obese. According
to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a BMI from 18.5 to
24.9 is considered normal while a BMI of more than 25 is considered
overweight. A person is considered obese if the BMI is greater than 30 and
morbidly obese if the BMI is 40 or greater. In general, after the age of 50, a
man’s weight stabilizes and even drops slightly between the ages of 60 and 74.
However, a woman’s weight continues to increase until age 60 and then begins
to drop.
Another measure of obesity is the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The WHR is a
measurement tool that looks at the proportion of fat stored on the waist, and
hips and buttocks. The waist circumference indicates abdominal fat. A waist
circumference over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women may increase
the risk for heart disease and other diseases associated with being overweight
.
This is just a short list of the far-ranging negative effects on health:
Each year obesity-related conditions cost over 100 billion dollars and
cause an estimated 300,000 premature deaths in the US. The health
effects associated with obesity include, but are not limited to, the following:
Hypertension Dyslipidemia
(for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides
)
Type 2 diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Stroke Gallbladder disease
Osteoarthritis
Sleep apnea and respiratory
problems
Some
Cancers (endometrial, breast, and
colon)
PREMATURE DEATH An estimated 300,000
deaths per year may be attributable to obesity. The risk of death rises with
increasing weight. Even moderate weight excess (10 to 20 pounds for a person
of average height) increases the risk of death, particularly among adults aged
30 to 64 years. Individuals who are obese (BMI > 30)* have a 50 to 100%
increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals
with a healthy weight.
HEART DISEASE The incidence of heart
disease (heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina
or chest pain, and abnormal heart rhythm) is increased in persons who are
overweight or obese (BMI > 25).* High blood pressure is twice as common in
adults who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight. Obesity is
associated with elevated triglycerides (blood fat) and decreased HDL
cholesterol ("good cholesterol").
DIABETES A weight gain of 11 to 18
pounds increases a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that
of individuals who have not gained weight. Over 80% of people with diabetes
are overweight or obese.
CANCER Overweight and obesity are
associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer including
endometrial (cancer of the lining of the uterus), colon, gall bladder,
prostate, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer. Women gaining more than 20
pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of postmenopausal breast
cancer, compared to women whose weight remains stable.
BREATHING PROBLEMS
Sleep apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping) is more common in obese
persons. Obesity is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma.
ARTHRITIS For
every 2-pound increase in weight, the risk of developing arthritis is
increased by 9 to 13%. Symptoms of arthritis can improve with weight loss.
REPRODUCTIVE COMPLICATIONS
Complications of pregnancy Obesity during pregnancy is associated with
increased risk of death in both the baby and the mother and increases the risk
of maternal high blood pressure by 10 times. In addition to many other
complications, women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to have
gestational diabetes and problems with labor and delivery. Infants born to
women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to be high birth weight
and, therefore, may face a higher rate of Cesarean section delivery and low
blood sugar (which can be associated with brain damage and seizures). Obesity
during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of birth defects,
particularly neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Obesity in
premenopausal women is associated with irregular menstrual cycles and
infertility.
ADDITIONAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES
Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall
bladder disease, incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression.
Obesity can affect the quality of life through limited mobility and decreased
physical endurance as well as through social, academic, and job discrimination.
CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS Risk
factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure,
occur with increased frequency in overweight children and adolescents compared
to those with a healthy weight. Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an
adult disease, has increased dramatically in children and adolescents.
Overweight and obesity are closely linked to type 2 diabetes. Overweight
adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This
increases to 80% if one or more parent is overweight or obese. The most
immediate consequence of overweight, as perceived by children themselves, is
social discrimination.
BENEFITS OF WEIGHT LOSS
Weight loss, as modest as 5 to 15% of total body weight in a
person who is overweight or obese, reduces the risk factors for some diseases,
particularly heart disease. Weight loss can result in lower blood pressure,
lower blood sugar, and improved cholesterol levels. A person with a Body Mass
Index (BMI) above the healthy weight range may benefit from weight loss,
especially if he or she has other health risk factors, such as high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, and a
personal and/or family history of heart disease.
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