4 Serious Diseases Caused or Complicated by Obesity
There are many diseases which are known to be caused or complicated by carrying too much body fat. Type-2 (adult onset) diabetes, high blood pressure, a number of cancers and osteoarthritis are four major diseases linked to obesity.
Type-2 diabetes
Type-2
diabetes used to be known as adult onset, or Non-Insulin Dependent
Diabetes. Type-2 diabetes tends to run in families and tends to be
more common in the obese. The current increase in obesity in
the population correlates with the increase in the incident rate of
type-2 diabetes.
This form of diabetes is characterized by the body not making enough of the hormone insulin to control the blood sugar levels. Occasionally the cells in the body can also become "insulin resistant" to normal levels of the hormone which results in higher levels of insulin being required.
Type-2 diabetes can be brought under control through proper diet, physical exercise, and weight loss.
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Having
high blood pressure is one of a number of 'risk factors' that can
increase the probability of you developing serious conditions such
as heart disease or stroke. Generally, high blood pressure equals
high risk.
Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure of the blood against the arterial wall at the start of a heartbeat (systolic pressure) and end of the heartbeat (diastolic pressure).
Blood pressure varies with time of day but if it remains consistently high over a period of time it is classified as "high blood pressure", often called "hypertension".
The risk of hypertension is 5 times higher in the obese as compared to those of normal weight and up to two-thirds of cases can be attributed to excess weight.
Changing lifestyle risk factors are part of the treatment for high blood pressure i.e. losing weight, taking more exercise, eating healthily, cutting down on alcohol and stopping smoking.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis
is a type of (degenerative) arthritis that's caused by wear and tear
of the joints. It makes your joints feel stiff and painful and
commonly affects your hands, knees, hips and back.
Obesity increases the risk of you getting osteoarthritis. Overweight women have nearly 4 times the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee, and for men the risk is 5 times greater.
Carrying excess bodyweight increases the pressure on your joints, especially in your knees, ankles and lower back. This increases the stress within the joint which can wear away the protective cartilage between the bone.
Losing even a small amount of weight can reduce the pressure on your joints, helping you to move around more freely and reduce your dependence on pain relieving medication.
Cancer
It
is surprising to many people that obesity is connected with
cancer. The connection is not made usually because by time the
diagnosis is made the patient is ill and thin.
However, experts have now concluded that there is now ample evidence that obesity increases the risk of cancers of the breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), colon, kidney, and oesophagus.
In 2002, about 41,000 new cases of cancer in the United States were estimated to be due to obesity. This means that about 3.2 percent of all new cancers are linked to obesity.
A recent report estimated that, in the United States, 14 percent of deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of deaths from cancer in women were due to obesity.
Treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancers are highly toxic to the body and can cause tremendous damage to our systems. Being of "normal" weight i.e. non-obese, can reduce the chances of getting cancer.
What should you do?
In summary, obesity has many health implications, some of which can develop into serious diseases.
So the simple answer to "what should you do?" is "not get fat"! However that is not a very constructive answer for those who already have put on a bit too much weight.
If you are concerned about obesity and the diseases associated with excess body fat you can find some very useful information at these sites:
How to Cleanse Your Body and Rid Yourself of Unwanted Fat
Top Methods for Burning Fat and Maintaining a Good Figure/Physique
Guide To Help
Teenagers Lose Weight