Effects of Obesity

The effects of obesity are wide reaching, not just in terms of health, both physical and mental, but also in terms of cost.

This means financial cost, not only to individuals, but also to businesses through time lost as a result of illness and to overburdened health care systems.

And perhaps the most important cost of all - the emotional impact on the lives of those affected.

This is especially true for children who are often teased or tormented by other children at school because they are overweight or obese and as a result, comfort themselves with eating even more.

Some Physical Effects of Obesity

Some of the illnesses related to obesity and overweight are well known. These include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Less well know is the fact that obesity can cause certain forms of cancer, for example colon, gallbladder, breast and prostate cancer.

Let's take a closer look at some of these illnesses and the complications which can arise if the obesity is not treated and substantial weight lose does not take place.

Type 2 Diabetes

This form of diabetes typically occurs in people who are overweight and is the result of the pancreas not being able to produce enough insulin to deal with the amount of glucose in the body.

Often this form of diabetes can be controlled by diet and exercise, but if it is allowed to get out of control can lead to many serious complications, such as kidney failure, eye problems and stroke.

Gallstones

Gallstones are also common amongst people who are seriously overweight. If gallstones cause symptoms, usually pain and sometimes vomiting, they are usually treated by removal of the gallbladder.

High Blood Pressure

Increased blood pressure is also more common amongst people who are obese and can lead to heart disease and stroke which are both extremely serious conditions which can impair the quality of a person's life and in some cases lead to early death.

Cancer

Many cancers are associated with overweight and/or poor nutrition, which often go hand in hand. As far as women are concerned, cancers related to overweight include cancer of the colon, the uterus, the gallbladder, breast cancer and cancer of the cervix and ovary, In men who are overweight there is an increased risk of colon or rectal cancer, as well as cancer of the prostate.

Sleep Apnoea

This is a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods during sleep. It leads to difficulty in sleeping and exhaustion during the day and in extreme cases can cause symptoms of heart failure.

Losing weight usually corrects the condition.

Pain

Being overweight puts stress on the whole body and this can result in pain, particularly joint pain which can make movement difficult. Back pain, as a result of extra pressure on the spine is another unpleasant side effect of obesity.

Large folds of skin which rub against each other can cause chaffing and sores, which can be difficult to treat. A number of skin conditions are also a result of obesity and anyone who is confined to bed or a chair because of being too seriously overweight to move, runs the risk of bedsores.

This is just a brief description of a few of the health problems which are potential effects of obesity.

Implications for Obese Children

Children who are obese have an increased risk of becoming obese teenagers and obese adults. Since the damage to their bodies has started early, they are likely to develop serious illnesses related to obesity much early in life than those of their parents' generation who became obese as adults.

In fact, for the first time in decades, developed countries are concerned that children will die before their parents and that this will become the norm. Of course, this doesn't mean that they will die as children, but that their life expectancy will be reduced by factors related to overweight and obesity and that they will die whilst their parents are still alive.

Whatever age, it is always distressing for parents to experience the death of a child and in recent times, the only other situation in which this was something to be expected, was during war. If this situation is of concern to you, it is important to consider some form of obesity help.

Psychological Effects of Obesity

Despite the fact that so many people are obese, the stigma attached to being seriously overweight remains and can cause a lot of psychological damage to both children and adults.

Lack of self esteem is very common amongst people who are overweight and this can lead to depression. It can be very difficult to feel good about yourself if you are subjected to thoughtless comments and name-calling by others. This in turn makes it difficult to go out into the world and so obese people may avoid studying or getting high profile jobs. In fact, many may face discriminatoin in the workplace.

In view of the wide ranging effects of obesity, it's a good idea to take steps to prevent or reverse obesity before these effects have too much of an impact on your life.