The Health Risks of Being Overweight
With the introduction of labor saving machines and appliances such as TV's, cars, computers, elevators, household electrical goods and other items, applying physical effort to any activity has almost become almost unthinkable.
This reduction in calorie expenditure without a matching reduction in calorie intake has spawned an epidemic of obesity. The full tragedy is that few people understand the full health risks of being overweight.
The risk of diabetes from being overweight
Type II diabetes is the most common type of diabetes that a majority of US citizens suffer from. It is also known as adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Type II diabetes causes drastic variations in the blood sugar levels through out the day.
This can result in heart and kidney diseases, early death, strokes and even blindness. Losing weight, along with proper exercise has been found to be the most effective means of preventing and in some cases actually curing type II diabetes.
Heart disease is one of the most widespread major health risks of being overweight. Being overweight greatly increases the chance of heart malfunction and blood circulation problems and may result in congestive heart failure, heart attack, angina (chest pains), sudden cardiac arrest or irregular heartbeat.
Weight loss in this case will not only prevent the above-mentioned ailments but also help normalize blood pressure, cholesterol levels and triglyceride and reduce inflammation in the body.
Is cancer linked from being overweight?
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and is often a result of fat cells that affect cell growth and multiply beyond capacity. Colon, esophagus, and kidney are the most affected parts of the body. Being overweight has also contributed to uterine and postmenopausal breast cancer in women.
In sleep apnea the victim experiences short lapses of breaths during nighttime. This in turn makes the person sleepy throughout the day, making it difficult for him to concentrate on work. In some cases, heart failure has also been noted in patients suffering from this disease.
The lapse of breath occurs due to the increased size of the cells of the neck, blocking the windpipe at certain intervals. Reducing weight will decrease the size of the neck and reduce the pressure on the windpipe and make breathing easy.
Osteoarthritis health risk from excess bodyweight
Osteoarthritis is another health risk of being overweight. In this particular ailment, the joint bone and the tissue that protects joints (cartilage), wear away. The joint bone of various parts of the body like the hip, knees, and lower back are the major targets of Osteoarthritis.
Being overweight puts a lot of pressure on the joints, which may lead to this disease in the long run. Reducing weight will deflate the fat and reduce the aches and pains.
Excess fat accumulates in the liver cells and causes the organ to inflate, leading to injury. This results in Fatty Liver disease. This disease can lead to severe liver impairment, built-up of scar tissue that blocks the proper blood flow to the liver (cirrhosis), and complete liver failure. It is quite similar to alcoholic liver damage but does not necessarily mean that it cannot affect those who do not consume liquor.
