Obesity is a growing epidemic in many countries around the world. It is defined as having an unhealthy amount of body fat, usually measured by calculating the person’s Body Mass Index (BMI).
An individual is considered obese if their BMI rating is 30 or higher. Obesity can have several negative health effects and even increase the risk of certain health conditions in individuals. This blog post will examine some of the health conditions caused by obesity and what symptoms to be aware of.
Types of Obesity
Several types of obesity can affect an individual’s physical and mental health. The most common form is simple obesity, which occurs when a person consumes more calories than they burn regularly. Other forms include abdominal obesity, which affects those who store excess fat around their midsections; morbid obesity, which is a severe excess weight that can cause life-threatening health problems; and extreme obesity, which requires extensive medical care to help individuals lose weight.
Symptoms of Obesity
Obesity has both physical and psychological symptoms that can indicate someone may be suffering from a serious problem with their weight. Physically, symptoms include difficulty breathing due to extra strain on the lungs; chronic fatigue; joint pain due to excess pressure on the joints; high blood pressure; diabetes; gallbladder disease; increased risk for heart disease; stroke; sleep apnea; infertility issues for women; and reproductive problems for men. Psychologically, symptoms may include depression, low self-esteem, body image issues, eating disorders such as binge eating disorder, anxiety, or stress related to self-image or social situations due to being overweight.
Health Conditions Caused by Obesity
The primary health condition caused by obesity is type 2 diabetes. When someone has too much body fat they increase their risk of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes due to their body not being able to properly process glucose into energy.
Other potential health conditions caused by obesity include heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol levels or triglycerides in the blood, hypertension (high blood pressure), arthritis or orthopedic problems due to excess strain on the joints, sleep apnea (interrupted breathing during sleep), kidney disease/kidney failure, cancer (especially colorectal cancer), depression/anxiety disorders (due to low self-esteem) and liver disease/fatty liver disease from excessive fat deposits in the liver cells.
Obesity can have severe physical and mental repercussions on an individual’s quality of life if not addressed properly through exercise and diet modifications. If you think you may suffer from one of these symptoms or have any other type of concern about your weight it’s important to speak with a doctor about possible solutions for addressing your issue before it becomes more severe down the line with long-term negative effects on your overall well-being.
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