diet tips: What are the risks of overweight and obesity for health?

What are the risks of overweight and obesity for health?

The fact of being overweight or obese is not a cosmetic problem. These conditions greatly increase the risk of other health problems.

Health problems related to overweight and obesity in adults

Coronary artery disease

As BMI increases, the risk of coronary artery disease. This disease is the deposition of a waxy substance called plaque inside the coronary arteries, which carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Plaque can narrow or block the coronary arteries and reduce the flow of blood to the heart muscle. This can cause angina or a heart attack. (Angina is pain or discomfort in the chest.)

Obesity can also lead to failure cardíacaexternal link icon. Heart failure is a serious disease in which the heart can not pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.




High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways.

An overweight or obese are more likely to suffer high blood pressure.

stroke

Being overweight or obese can cause deposits of plaque in the arteries. Over time, a section of plaque can rupture and cause a blood clot to form.

If the clot is near the brain, it can block blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and cause a stroke (stroke cerebralexternal link icon). The higher the BMI, the greater the risk of stroke.

Diabetes Type 2

Diabetes is a disease in which the concentrations of glucose or sugar in the blood are too high. Normally, the body breaks down food into glucose and then transports the glucose to the cells throughout the body. With the help of a hormone called insulin, cells convert glucose into energy.

In type 2 diabetes, the body cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the body reacts by producing more insulin. However, over time the body can no longer produce enough insulin to control glucose levels in the blood.

Diabetes is a major cause of premature death, coronary artery disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness. Most individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Abnormal levels of blood fats
If you are overweight or obese, you are more likely to have abnormal levels of blood fats, ie having high concentrations of triglycerides and LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and low levels of HDL ("good cholesterol ").

Abnormal levels of these fats in the blood increase the risk of coronary artery disease. In the article titled Health Topics High Blood Cholesterol (English only) for more information on triglycerides and LDL and HDL cholesterols.

metabolic syndrome

The link icon metabólicoexternal syndrome is the name given to a set of risk factors that increase the chance of heart disease and other health problems such as diabetes and cerebrovascular accident (stroke) is known.

A person may have any of these risk factors individually, but usually occur together. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed if submitted at least three of the following risk factors:

Large measure of waist circumference. This situation is called abdominal obesity or "apple type". Excess fat around the waist increases the risk of developing coronary artery disease if the excess fat was in other parts of the body, for example in the hips.


Triglyceride concentration higher than normal (or the fact of taking medication to control high triglycerides).
HDL cholesterol concentration lower than normal (or the fact of taking medication to control low HDL cholesterol).
Higher blood pressure than normal (or the fact of being on medication to control high blood pressure).
Blood glucose concentration higher than normal fasting (or the fact of taking medicines to treat diabetes).
cancer
Overweight and obesity increase the risk of colon, breast (breast), endometrial and gallbladder.

osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common problem in the joints of the knees, hips and lower back. It occurs when the tissue that protects the joints wears away. Being overweight can put more pressure on joints and cause more wear them, causing pain.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a common condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods or shallow breaths during sleep.

A person with sleep apnea may have more stored fat around the neck. This situation can narrow the airways and make breathing difficult.

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
OHS and obesidadexternal link icon (Pickwick syndrome) is a breathing disorder that affects some obese people. In this syndrome, respiratory problems are due to excess carbon dioxide (hypoventilation) and the very low concentration of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia).

Hypoventilation syndrome and obesity can cause serious health problems and even death.

Reproductive problems
Obesity can cause menstrual problems and infertility (difficulty having children) in women.

Gallstones

The gallstones or bile stones are pieces of a hard material like rocks. Form in the gallbladder and usually are composed of cholesterol. They can cause stomach pain or back pain.

People who are overweight or obese are more likely to have gallstones. Also, being overweight can lead to gallbladder enlarge and malfunction.

Health problems related to overweight and obesity in children and adolescents

In children and adolescents, overweight and obesity also endanger health. Type 2 diabetes was once rare in children in the United States, but a growing number of children are having this disease.

In addition, overweight children are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults and to run the health risks listed above.