what health risks do obese individuals face? course hero

by Laurine Terry 7 min read

Obesity has been associated with a higher risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD occurs when stomach acid leaks into the esophagus. In addition, obesity increases the risk of developing gallstones.

Full Answer

What are the health risks of being overweight?

Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity 1 Type 2 diabetes. 2 High blood pressure. 3 Heart disease. 4 Stroke. 5 Sleep apnea. 6 Metabolic syndrome. 7 Fatty liver diseases. 8 Osteoarthritis. 9 Gallbladder diseases. 10 Some cancers. More items...

How does obesity affect your overall health?

Obesity can also have a profound effect on your mental health. This includes a higher risk of depression, poor self-esteem, and issues with body image. Fat stored around the neck can make the airway too small, which can make breathing difficult at night. This is called sleep apnea.

What is the relationship between obesity and heart disease?

People with obesity have higher than normal blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar, all of which contribute to heart disease. Arteries that become narrow can lead to a heart attack.

What percentage of the population is affected by obesity?

In 2015 to 2016, obesity affected nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population. People living with obesity have higher chances of developing a range of serious medical issues. These health problems affect nearly every part of the body, including the brain, blood vessels, heart, liver, gallbladder, bones, and joints.

What health risks do obese individuals face?

All-causes of death (mortality).High blood pressure (hypertension).High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (dyslipidemia).Type 2 diabetes.Coronary heart disease.Stroke.Gallbladder disease.Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint).More items...

What are the 3 risks of obesity?

People with obesity are more likely to develop a number of potentially serious health problems, including:Heart disease and strokes. ... Type 2 diabetes. ... Certain cancers. ... Digestive problems. ... Sleep apnea. ... Osteoarthritis. ... Severe COVID-19 symptoms.

What are the four broad topics listed as health risks associated with being overweight?

Results. Long-term NHS research has shown that weight gain and being overweight or obese are important risk factors for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancers, and premature death.

How do you deal with weight stigma?

Results: Active coping, planning, positive reframing, acceptance, emotional support, and exercise avoidance were the most common coping strategies employed in response to acute weight stigma experiences.

What are the health risks of being obese or overweight?

Being overweight or obese can have a serious impact on health. Carrying extra fat leads to serious health consequences such as cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis, and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon).

What are 5 risk factors of obesity?

Here are 10 health risks of obesity and what you can do to prevent or manage them.Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your blood sugar is higher than normal. ... Heart disease. ... Stroke. ... Sleep apnea. ... High blood pressure. ... Liver disease. ... Gallbladder disease. ... Certain cancers.More items...

How does obesity affect daily life?

People with severe obesity are more likely to have other diseases. These include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, sleep apnea, and many more. Combined with obesity, these diseases may lead people to have poor health.

How does obesity increase the risk of chronic disease?

Overweight and obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease,3 certain cancers,4-6 diabetes,7 and mortality. In addition, overweight also exacerbates many other chronic diseases, such as hypertension,10 osteoarthritis,11,12 gallstones,13 dyslipidemia, and musculoskeletal problems.

How does weight stigma impact health?

A Threat to Psychological and Physical Health An accumulation of evidence demonstrates that weight stigma invokes psychological stress and emerging research suggests that this stress leads to poor physical health outcomes for obese individuals.

Why is weight bias an issue?

“The problem with weight bias is that it actually causes harm. It does physical and emotional harm because patients will not want to talk about their health, they might not want to take action when a provider makes recommendations or they might not even seek medical care because of their fears.

How can discrimination reduce obesity?

These included:Addressing weight bias in workplace harassment training.Increasing public education about the complex causes of obesity.Implementing anti-bullying policies in schools to protect students from weight-based bullying.More items...

Why does my body feel sore and stiff?

Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a common, long-lasting health problem that causes pain, swelling, and reduced motion in your joints. Being overweight or having obesity may raise your risk of getting osteoarthritis by putting extra pressure on your joints and cartilage.

What causes kidney disease?

Kidney disease means that your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood like they should. Obesity raises the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, the most common causes of kidney disease. Even if you don’t have diabetes or high blood pressure, obesity itself may promote kidney disease and quicken its progress.

What are the health problems that can occur during pregnancy?

Pregnancy problems. Overweight and obesity raise the risk of health problems that may occur during pregnancy. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese may have a greater chance of. developing gestational diabetes. having preeclampsia—high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can cause severe health problems for mother and baby if left untreated.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. About 8 out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or have obesity. 8 Over time, high blood glucose leads to problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, nerve damage, and other health problems.

What is the external link of cancer?

Cancer#N#NIH external link#N#is a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues. Overweight and obesity may raise your risk of developing certain types of cancer#N#NIH external link#N#.

What is heart disease?

Heart disease. Heart disease is a term used to describe several problems that may affect your heart. If you have heart disease, you may have a heart attack, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina. NIH external link.

What are the conditions that put you at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke?

Metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. These conditions are. high blood pressure. high blood glucose levels. high triglyceride levels in your blood. low levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) in your blood. too much fat around your waist.

What are the health effects of obesity?

The Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity 1 All-causes of death (mortality) 2 High blood pressure (Hypertension) 3 High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia) 4 Type 2 diabetes 5 Coronary heart disease 6 Stroke 7 Gallbladder disease 8 Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint) 9 Sleep apnea and breathing problems 10 Many types of cancer#N#external icon 11 Low quality of life 12 Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders 4,5 13 Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning 6

What is the definition of obesity?

Obesity trends, economic consequences, state-based programs and other resources for the health professional. *Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher.

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint) Sleep apnea and breathing problems. Many types of cancer. external icon. Low quality of life. Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders 4,5. Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning 6.

How to treat obesity?

Surgery. Surgery may also be an option to treat obesity if you have tried other methods for losing weight but have not been successful in maintaining long-term weight loss. It can often help reduce the risk of other diseases (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea) that are associated with severe obesity.

What are the factors that contribute to obesity?

Many behavioral factors play a role in obesity as well, including your eating habits and daily activity level. Many people develop their eating habits as children and have trouble refining them to maintain proper body weight as they age.

What is a morbid obesity?

Morbid obesity is a condition in which you have a body mass index (BMI) higher than 35. BMI is used to estimate body fat and can help determine if you are at a healthy body weight for your size. BMI is not a perfect measurement but it does help give a general idea of ideal weight ranges for height.

Why does the body build up fat when you eat?

When you eat, your body uses the calories you consume to run your body. Even at rest, the body needs calories to pump your heart or digest food. If those calories are not used, the body stores them as fat. Your body will build up fat stores if you continue to eat more calories than your body can use during daily activities and exercise.

How to check body fat percentage?

A skinfold test may also be done to check your body fat percentage. In this test, a doctor measures the thickness of a fold of skin from the arm, abdomen, or thigh with a caliper. Another way to test body fat percentage includes bioelectrical impedance, which is often done using a special type of scale.

What does a doctor ask about weight loss?

Your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask you about the history of your weight and your weight-loss efforts. They will ask you about your eating and exercise habits, and your medical history.

Is BMI a diagnosis tool?

Using BMI as a diagnosis tool for obesity has limitations. Your BMI is only an estimate of your body fat. For example, athletes may have a high weight because of their higher muscle mass. They could fall into the obese or morbidly obese BMI range, but actually have a small amount of body fat.

Why do people with obesity have a higher risk of having sleep apnea?

This is because they tend to have more fat stored around the neck, making the airway shrink.

What happens if you have a BMI of 40?

of women with a BMI of 40 or greater when they got pregnant ended up having one of these complications. If you’re overweight or have obesity and are thinking about having a baby, you may want begin a weight management plan to avoid the above health risks.

What are the risks of pregnancy?

Pregnant women who are overweight or have obesity are more likely to develop insulin resistance, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. This can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery, including:

What is the cause of obesity?

It raises the risk for several serious health complications. Excess body fat puts strain on the bones and organs. It also causes complex changes in hormones and metabolism and increases inflammation in the body.

What is the name of the disease that causes scar tissue to grow?

This happens when excess fat builds up in the liver. The excess fat can damage the liver or cause scar tissue to grow, known as cirrhosis.

How does obesity affect mental health?

Obesity can impact both your physical health and your mental health. You may be unsure of where to begin, but taking steps now to manage your health can prevent you from complications like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about exercising more, eating a healthier diet, seeing a therapist, and other treatment methods.

What are the effects of stroke on the brain?

A stroke can cause damage to brain tissue and result in a range of disabilities, including speech and language impairment, weakened muscles, and changes to thinking and reasoning skills. A 2010 review of 25 studies with almost 2.3 million participants found that obesity increased the risk of stroke by 64 percent. 4.

What causes GERD in the liver?

GERD occurs when stomach acid leaks into the esophagus. In addition, obesity increases the risk of developing gallstones. This is when bile builds up and hardens in the gallbladder. This may require surgery. Fat can also build up around the liver and lead to liver damage, scar tissues, and even liver failure.

What is the term for the condition where the body puts too much pressure on the joints?

This is referred to as osteosarcopenic obesity. Osteosarcopenic obesity can lead to a higher risk of fractures, physical disability, insulin resistance, and poorer overall health outcomes. Extra weight can also put too much pressure on the joints, leading to pain and stiffness.

What is the skin system that causes rash?

Integumentary (skin) system. Rashes can occur where the skin of body fat folds. A condition known as acanthosis nigricans can also occur. Acanthosis nigricans is characterized by discoloration and thickening of the skin in the folds and creases of your body.

How does obesity affect the body?

If you’re living with obesity, you can treat or manage many of these risk factors with a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.

What happens if you are resistant to insulin?

Insulin is a hormone that carries sugar from your blood to your cells, where it’s used for energy. If you’re resistant to insulin, the sugar can’t be taken up by the cells, resulting in high blood sugar. This increases a person’s risk of having type 2 diabetes, a condition where your blood sugar is too high. Type 2 diabetes is linked ...

What causes a heart attack and stroke?

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar on top of excess body fat can make the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart become hard and narrow. Hardened arteries , also called atherosclerosis, can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Diabetes and high blood pressure are also common causes of chronic kidney disease.

What are the health problems of obesity?

People living with obesity have higher chances of developing a range of serious medical issues. These health problems affect nearly every part of the body, including the brain, blood vessels, heart, liver, gallbladder, bones, and joints.