According to the National Institutes of Health (2012), the consequences of being overweight or obese are not just a cosmetic problem. These conditions can greatly increase your risk for the following conditions.
Coronary Heart Disease
Your risk for Coronary Health Disease (CHD) rises as your body mass index rises. CHD is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart. Plaque can narrow or block the coronary arteries and reduce blood flow to the heart muscle. This can cause angina (chest pain) or a heart attack.
Obesity also can lead to heart failure. This is a serious condition in which your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways. Your risk of having high blood pressure is greater if you’re overweight or obese.
Stroke
The risk of having a stroke rises as body mass index rises. Being overweight or obese can lead to a buildup of plaque in your arteries. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form. If the clot is close to your brain, it can block the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain and cause a stroke.
Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body’s blood sugar level is too high. Normally, the body breaks down food into glucose and then carries it to cells throughout the body. The cells use a hormone called insulin to turn the glucose into energy.
In type 2 diabetes, the body does not use insulin properly. At first, the body reacts by making more insulin. Eventually, the body can’t make enough insulin to control its blood sugar level. Diabetes is a leading cause of early death, CHD, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. Most people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Abnormal Blood Fats
If you’re overweight or obese, you’re at increased risk of having abnormal levels of blood fats. These include high levels of triglycerides and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Abnormal levels of these blood fats are a risk factor for CHD.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises your risk for heart disease and other obesity related health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.
A diagnosis of metabolic syndrome is made if you have at least three of the following risk factors:
- A large waistline also referred to as abdominal obesity. Extra fat in the waist area is a greater risk factor for CHD than having extra fat in other parts of the body, such as on the hips.
- A higher than normal triglyceride level (or you’re on medicine to treat high triglycerides).
- A lower than normal HDL cholesterol level (or you’re on medicine to treat low HDL cholesterol).
- High blood pressure (or you’re on medicine to treat high blood pressure).
- Higher than normal fasting blood sugar (or you’re on medicine to treat diabetes).
Cancer
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for colon, breast, endometrial, and gallbladder cancers.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common joint problem of the knees, hips, and lower back. The condition occurs if the tissue that protects the joints wears away. Extra weight can put more pressure and wear on joints, causing pain.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.
A person who has sleep apnea may have more fat stored around the neck. This can narrow the airway, making it hard to breathe.
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a breathing disorder that affects some obese people. In OHS, poor breathing results in too much carbon dioxide (hypoventilation) and too little oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia). OHS can lead to serious health problems and may even cause death.
Reproductive Problems
Obesity can cause menstrual issues and infertility in women.
Gallstones
Gallstones are hard pieces of stone-like material that form in the gallbladder. They’re mostly made of cholesterol. Gallstones can cause stomach or back pain. People who are overweight or obese are at increased risk of having gallstones as well as enlarged gallbladder that doesn’t work well.
NIH Health, Lung, and Blood Institute (2012, July) What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity? Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov