Complications of obesity & overweight

In recent years obesity has become one of the biggest health problems all over the world. A person who is obese will not have problems only with the way he or she looks but with his or her health as well.

The body needs calories for most of its functions like breathing, blood circulation and physical activity. Four calories can be found in one gram of both carbohydrate and protein while one gram of fat contains nine calories. Obesity and overweight will occur when a person intakes too much calories and does not exercise enough. Physical activity is important for the burning of the calories. A person whose BMI is higher than 30 is obese while a person with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered to be overweight.

There are lots of disorders a person may end up suffering from if he or she is obese.

Obesity and high blood pressure

A person who gains weight will feel his or her heart rate has increased and the elasticity of blood vessels has decreased. Calories that are not burned will be deposited as fat in fatty tissue and there is more need for oxygen and nutrients. Then blood circulation is increased and that adds pressure on the walls of arteries which increases blood pressure. Insulin is also increased because of obesity.

Obesity and diabetes

Too much body fat makes the body resistant to insulin which controls the sugar and is needed for its entry into body cells from the blood. Because of this, sugar will remain in the blood and that will result in diabetes. The kidney, heart and the eyes may be affected because of the excessive sugar in the blood.

Atherosclerosis or fatty deposits in blood vessels

There are two types of cholesterol, the good one or HDL and the bad one or LDL. Obese people have high levels of bad and low levels of good cholesterol. When the cholesterol levels are high, the elasticity of the blood vessels is reduced and the blood flow is decreased. These factors lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease and stroke.

Stroke or paralysisBecause of the reduced supply of blood to the brain arteries caused by atherosclerosis a person may suffer from stroke or paralysis.

OsteoarthritisToo much weight puts extra pressure on the knees, hips and lower back. Joint pain and stiffness will occur sooner because the cartilage will break.

GoutAccumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints leads to gout and obesity increases the production of that acid.

Apart from these a person may also suffer from sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, gallbladder disease and gallstones.