The effect of obesity on the body

The statistics on obesity have skyrocketed in the past years, with a large number of people being obese. While obesity is not characterized by weight, but by BMI, most people may not even know they fall into the category. There are numerous reasons why obesity is so prevalent, ranging from bad lifestyle, poor nutrition, irregular mealtimes, excessive stress, and more. Its impact is deep-rooted in the body, which people should be aware of. Here are 5 health conditions that obesity can eventually lead to, when not put under control.

1. Type 2 diabetes – Type 2 diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar levels in the body. When blood sugar is above normal, it can further increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and more. More than 85% of diabetes patients are found to be overweight, which occurs for a reason. One of the main reasons is that excess weight makes the cell resistant to insulin, making the pancreas produce more insulin hormone in order to make up for the perceived deficiency in the body, causing Type 2 diabetes.

2. Heart Disease – Heart disease is caused by the narrowing of blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. When the blood supply to the heart is decreased, the risk of heart attack, cardiac death, abnormal heart rhythm, etc. increases. People who are overweight often also carry the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and more, which are linked to heart disease. Moreover, carrying excess weight puts more pressure on the heart, decrease its ability to function efficiently.

3. Cancer – Cells in the body that grow abnormally are typically considered to be cancer cells. These spread throughout the body in time, and often have limited scope for treatment. Obesity has been linked to cancer in the past, perhaps due to the fact that excess fat cells can affect the growth of cells in the body, causing them to turn cancerous over time. Any bad lifestyle habits connected to obesity can also increase the risk of cancer.

4. Fatty Liver Disease – The build-up of fat on the liver can cause it to dysfunction, leading to fatty liver disease. This further causes issues such as liver cirrhosis, liver damage, liver failure, and more. Fatty liver disease is also known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis causes the same issues as alcoholic liver disease, but caused by fat and not alcohol intake.

5. Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis occurs due to wear and tear of the cartilage in the joints, which causes immense pain and discomfort, often affecting mobility. Wear and tear occur due to injury, age, and excess weight that puts more pressure on the joints, especially hip, and knee joints. Moreover, excess weight also causes inflammation in the joints, which further leads to Osteoarthritis.

Most people often wonder, ‘does obesity cause stress?’. With so many issues caused by obesity, it is but natural that your body and mind are put under immense stress, which can only be reduced by alleviating these issues. Dr. Mohit Bhandari is the leading Bariatric Surgeon in Mumbai, with immense success in helping patients tackle extreme obesity and relive the associated health conditions.