Why and How Is Obesity High Risk For Your Overall Health

When did we turn into a civilization that is absolutely comfortable with being overweight? No, we are not here to criticize anyone on the appearance, we are just trying to make you realize that the implications of being overweight go way beyond the appearance factor. There is nothing better than having the confidence of being yourself. We have always been the strong support of accepting yourself for who you are. But if there’s a part of you that is putting your own health at risk and you very well know that the authority to change it lies with you, wouldn’t you say that it will be a rational decision to make an effort to change that?

Part of the reason why most of us feel too casual about being obese is that we confine its ramifications to the way we look. Truth is, there are plenty of health implications that are directly associated with being overweight. The fact that multiple of your body systems are affected negatively should be a sufficient reason for you to strategize against obesity. We understand that the source of motivation and inspiration for you to realize this goal can only come with information. This is why we have accentuated the top 10 medical conditions that you are comparatively more likely to conceive provided that you are overweight.

1. Hypertension

It has been a matter of extensive research to find out the association between hypertension and obesity. Countless researchers from all over the world have performed various studies with different variables to see if hypertension and obesity can be directly associated. You’d be amazed to find out that there is hardly a study that negates the association between obesity and hypertension. It is now considered as a medical fact that people who are overweight are much more likely to complain of hypertension at some point of their lives.

Would you like to get rid of those uninvited headaches, a constant feeling of being exhausted, and an easily irritable mood? Then it is time for you to make an effort into losing the extra weight and minimizing the risk of hypertension.

2. Cardiovascular Disorders

This would have popped into your mind while reading about the association of obesity and hypertension. It is a common understanding that hypertension is not a standalone condition. Rather, it is linked with increasing the incidence of a wide range of other medical conditions with cardiovascular disorders topping the chart.

Owing to the importance of the heart, would you like to gamble with its well-being? If not, then it is time for you to start taking obesity seriously and strategize to lose some weight. This will cause a reduction in your cholesterol levels as well as the blood pressure. Consequently, you’d benefit from the reduced risk of heart disease.

Remember that cardiovascular complications such as a heart attack can lead to a loss of life as well. If that doesn’t motivate you to take it seriously, what would?

3. Sleep Apnea

This may come as a surprise, but did you know that people who are overweight are more likely to experience sleep apnea. The complications associated with this condition are, of course, more dire than the annoyance it causes for your partner who has to bear the loud snoring. Sleep apnea can cause an intermittent pause in normal breathing during the course of sleeping. People who suffer from sleep apnea have also claimed to feel tired and sleepy during the rest of their day. They have reported that despite sufficient hours of sleep, they don’t feel recharged and are usually drained of energy to do anything productive.

What’s more, is that a few studies have also linked sleep apnea with a great risk of heart disease and even stroke. The good news, though, is that a simple solution to having it all stop threatening your life is to put an effort into exercising and physical fitness. Once you get rid of obesity, such associated conditions are highly likely to vanish as well.

4. Cancer

If we were failing to catch your attention thus far, we are sure the “C” word must have captured it for us. No, we are not trying to scare you. It has been proven with research that a wide range of cancers including those of esophagus, colon, kidney, endometrium, etc. are directly or indirectly linked with obesity.

But that is not all. Women who have reached menopause have also been found to be at a greater risk of developing breast cancer if they are overweight. Although further research is required to support it beyond doubt, a few of the studies have also hinted towards the association of obesity with the cancers of pancreas and ovaries as well.

Again, it’s not a matter of being scared. It’s just a wake-up call for you to start taking physical fitness seriously.

5. Gout

Nobody would want to be in their prime youth and yet have their joints bail on them when it comes to optimal functioning. Perhaps, you take your joints for granted considering your young age, but look at the older people for a minute and the difficulties they face in walking and moving in general and you would be able to realize their importance.

Being overweight puts you at a greater risk of developing excessive uric acid deposits at the location of your joints. This leads to a medical condition commonly known as Gout that has the potential to suck the life out of your youth. If you are serious about preventing that from happening to you, it is time that you start hitting the nearby gym and work towards losing the extra weight and get in shape.

6. Diabetes Types 2

When was the last time you found someone who suffered from Diabetes type 2 and yet didn’t seem to be overweight? If you are being honest, perhaps there hasn’t been an instance like that in your entire life. This is because Diabetes type 2 is strongly associated with obesity. If you have a sedentary lifestyle and it has been years since you last indulged in a physically intense activity, you may not realize but you are at a greater risk of developing Diabetes type 2 in the long run.

Diabetes can further stretch to medical complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney problems, etc. A simple solution? You bet, start working out and losing the extra weight. The fitter you are, the lesser are your chances of facing Diabetes type 2. Sounds like an absolutely fair deal, doesn’t it?

7. Gallbladder Disease

And the list continues. People who are overweight have also been found to be at a greater risk of developing the gallbladder disease or the gallstones. Such disorders are not only extremely painful but may also disable you from participating in your day to day activities.

While the solution to reducing your chances of being confronted with the frustration of developing gallstones is still losing weight, there is a catch in this one, though. If you are too excited about joining one of those lose weight fast programs which make you shed an enormous amount of weight in a short period of time, you may want to rethink since losing excessive weight quickly can actually reinforce the risk of gallbladder disease or developing gallstones.

For optimum results in such circumstances, it is recommended to keep a target of losing one pound of weight on a weekly basis.

8. Asthma

Consider this example. There is this person who is in good shape and is competing with another individual who is overweight, in a one-mile marathon. Once they both start running to the best of their abilities and take their times to eventually cross the finish line, who do you think is more likely to be on the floor gasping for air? The one who appeared to be physically fit or the one who was clearly obese? Of course, it is going to be the latter.

This is a lesson in the importance of how obesity can somehow lead to temporary or permanent breathing problems such as that of asthma. If you are not too crazed about the idea of keeping an inhaler with you at all times, we suggest you start focusing on a workout regime that enables you to hit your weight loss goal.

Once you get into form, you’d be able to have the peace of mind that you are no longer at an elevated risk of the breathing problems. You don’t have to worry about the embarrassment of searching for your inhaler every time you take a few quick steps to get to class or perhaps to your work in time.

9. Osteoarthritis

How serious are you about keeping your ability to walk by yourself in the days of your prime youth? You wouldn’t want to keep a stick for support or rely on someone’s help to properly walk, right? Then you must stay away from osteoarthritis at all costs. It is a medical condition that affects your joints specifically in the hips, knee, and back region. Being overweight cast an unusual burden on these joints that consequently destroys the surrounding cartilage and disables it from serving its protective role. As a result, since you aren’t taking care of your joints, your joints will eventually stop serving their purpose as well.

As evident, all you have to do is lose some weight and reduce the burden off your joints in order for the cartilage to keep them protected against osteoarthritis. The slimmer you are, the better you will be able to take care of your joints. The better you care for them, the better they’ll serve you in the long run.

10. Liver And Kidney Disease

If we have established one thing so far, it’s that obesity has a way of affecting the vital organs in your body. As such, your liver and kidney are not going to remain protected against the harms if you are too casual about being overweight. Considering the role of such organs in your body, it won’t be wrong to state that you would essentially be putting your life at risk in an event of a malfunctioning liver or a kidney.

But that’s not all. For pregnant mothers, the risk of being obese is even greater since it can also affect their newborn. Studies have highlighted that mothers who are overweight have a greater probability of cesarean delivery as compared to otherwise. So, if you are excited about a natural delivery for your baby, it is highly recommended that you strive to keep your weight within the healthy range.

Conclusion

As you can see, obesity is not all about the way you look. There are plenty of medical conditions which are associated with obesity, some of which are dire enough to cause a fatality. Not worrying about losing the extra weight can never be about self-love as much as maintaining it is, since you are literally expressing your love for yourself and for your life when you focus on weight loss.

As a rule of thumb, you can use the body mass index (BMI) to find out if you fall into the category of being overweight. Provided that you calculate your BMI to be greater than 30, you can take the hint that immediate actions are required for you to shed some weight and reduce the risk of the aforementioned life-threatening conditions. Your ultimate goal should be to bring your BMI down to within 25.

So, here’s a lot that you needed to know about the health implications of being obese. We sincerely hope that we helped you to find the motivation and inspiration to work towards your weight loss goals. If so, your next step should be to find a suitable gym, perhaps with a coach as well, and make a proper effort into shedding that extra layer of fat. We look forward to hearing your success stories.