The impact of obesity on your health is substantial. Obesity is quickly becoming the most significant health epidemic in the United States. Obesity is defined as the accumulation of body fat to the point where it becomes detrimental to your health. We know that as an individual’s weight increases, so does the risk of developing significant medical problems that can shorten a person’s life. The sad reality is that the disease of obesity directly or indirectly affects every part of our body.
As bariatric professionals, we measure obesity based on your body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated based on your height and weight. A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight, 30 to 35 is obese, and 35+ is considered morbidly obese.
When a patient’s BMI exceeds 30, they are at an increased risk of developing adverse health conditions. These conditions include high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, cancers, arthritis, and depression.
Impact of Obesity on Your Health
Obesity is a gateway for all of these conditions, leading to a reduced quality of life. The longer you are affected by obesity, the more these conditions can impact your health. Similarly, the higher your BMI, the more complex these conditions are to control, and the more severe they tend to be. Potentially leading to coronary artery disease, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
Treating obesity can add more than ten years to your life expectancy and reduce or cure all of the weight-related comorbidities associated with your weight. Therefore, it is critical to recognize obesity as a chronic disease and understand what weight gain is doing to your body.
Impact of Obesity: Arthritis
Did you know that 1 pound of weight is equivalent to 4 pounds of pressure on your joints? As you lose weight, you will begin to experience less pain in your joints due to less pressure. Similarly, your body will decrease cytokine production (inflammatory chemicals released by fat cells), leading to diminished aches and pains.
Impact of Obesity: Diabetes
Patients who have excess weight are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with diabetes because they have more fat cells, which increase insulin resistance. This results in the body being unable to regulate blood sugar levels, ultimately leading to diabetes.