Proactol Blog

Know the dangers of obesity

Prevention is better than cure

It’s a well known fact that the more obese a person is, the more likely he or she is to develop health risks and associated complications. What could make things even more complicated is the fact that while itself is a disease, obesity can be one of the major causative factors of various other diseases as well.

Obesity can cause premature Death
According to studies, the risk of premature death rises with increasing weight.  An estimated 300,000 American deaths a year are related to obesity. Similarly, obesity causes 30 000 deaths a year in the UK alone. Even moderate weight gain (10 to 20 pounds for a person of average height) increases the risk of death, particularly among adults aged 30 to 64 years.

Obesity can lead to cardiovascular (heart & blood vessel) disease
Since obesity is associated with high triglycerides and decreased HDL cholesterol,  the risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina or chest pain is increased in persons who are overweight or obese. High blood pressure is also twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight.

Obesity is one of the major risk factors for stroke
Obesity, especially morbid obesity is frequently associated with a high-fat diet, raised blood pressure and lack of exercise and gradually, over the time, leads to atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries. This may lead to the formation of an arterial blood clot and when this clot occurs in brain, a patient gets a stroke attack.

Obesity is associated with diabetes
Do you know that a weight increase of 11-18 pounds raises a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of individuals who have not gained weight? For the same reason, over 80 percent of people with diabetes are overweight or obese.

Obesity and Deep Venous disease (DVT)
Obesity (BMI 30+) has traditionally been recognized as a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis, a condition which severely affects the mobility of your lower limbs (legs and feet) and causes clotting in your veins. Obese / overweight patients also have an increased health risk of other vascular disorders (e.g. lower-limb ischemia / insufficient oxygen supply to legs and feet), caused by inadequate blood flow to the extremities.

Obesity and bone-joint disease
Clinical studies show that obesity is a strong risk factor for bone and joint disease (osteoarthritis), especially in the knees. In fact, the risk of osteoarthritis increases with every 2-pound gain in weight.

Increased health risk of gallbladder disease
The risk of developing gallstones is about 3 times greater for obese patients than in non-obese people. The presence of excess fat is considered as an almost-present causative risk for gall bladder disease.

Increased health risk of breathing problems
Obstructive sleep apnea or commonly called as “interrupted breathing during sleeping” is more common in obese persons. Obesity is also associated with a higher prevalence of asthma and severe bronchitis (inflammation of lungs).

Dangers of obesity in pregnancy
Obesity can severely affect the health of both mother and the new-born baby, both during and after pregnancy. Obesity in pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of death in both the baby and the mother. It also raises the risk of high blood pressure in the mother, by 10 times. Obesity during pregnancy is also associated with an increased risk of birth defects, such as spina bifida. Obesity-related health problems occurring after childbirth include higher risk of wound and inflammation of uterus and urinary tract infections.

Finally, with all these above-mentioned risks associated with obesity, here’s really good news for you, that is, losing a small amount of weight can significantly reduce your chances of developing heart disease or a stroke. Reducing your weight by 10 percent can decrease your chance of developing heart disease by improving how your heart works, blood pressure, and levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides. Studies show that you can improve your health by losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds.

Therefore, don’t wait for the deadly tomorrow, start living today!