Losing weight is good for the heart.
Being morbidly overweight is not just about the social stigma anymore. There are many health effects to being overweight. Whether it is just 10 pounds or 100 pounds, being overweight does a great deal of harm to the body as a whole. It hurts the cardiovascular system, interferes with how blood sugar is regulated and puts strain on the joints. As weight goes up, health problems increase, so it pays to lose weight as soon as possible.
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is common in the morbidly overweight. Hypertension or high blood pressure is common in those who carry excess weight and can lead to heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Heart disease is also prevalent in the morbidly overweight. The excess amount of weight puts undue stress on the cardiovascular system and causes the disease. High cholesterol is a culprit in heart attacks and is also very common in the morbidly overweight due to high fat diets.
Diabetes
Type II diabetes mellitus or adult onset diabetes is one of the most prevalent conditions facing the morbidly overweight. The excess weight causes the high blood sugar by a concept known as insulin resistance. This means that the body cells gradually become immune to the effects of insulin, and insulin is unable to lower blood sugar. Diabetes effects multiple organs in the body including the eyes, the kidneys and the peripheral nerves. It can also causes blockages of the peripheral arteries, leading to ulcers of the limbs and eventual amputation.
Respiratory Problems
With excess weight on the body, it become difficult to breathe. It takes more effort to expand a heavier chest wall, leading to a person becoming winded more easily. One of the respiratory side effects of being morbidly overweight is sleep apnea. This is when a person stops breathing while sleeping due to the excess tissue obstructing the person's airway. Sleep apnea can lead to heart rhythm disturbances and possible sudden death. Most people are unaware that they have sleep apnea.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is most commonly referred to as heartburn and is a common health effect of the morbidly overweight. It is caused when the valve at the bottom of the esophagus or food pipe leaks acid back up towards the mouth. Obesity can make this worse by the heavy abdominal fat pressing on the valve or by large meals pressing against the valve. The acid can even rise high enough to be inhaled into the lungs, causing lung injury and pneumonia. Too much acid in the esophagus over time has been linked to esophageal cancer.
Degenerative Arthritis
Degenerative arthritis is when the cartilage that cushions the joints of the body begins to break down. This condition is common in those who are morbidly overweight. The joints that support the weight such as the hips, knees, ankles, feet and the disks of the lower back are usually the primary locations for this type of arthritis. Difficulty walking is common with this condition, and it can lead to joint replacement surgery for many overweight people.
Other Health Effects
Urinary stress incontinence is often experienced by overweight women due to the pressure of belly fat pressing down on the bladder. Some cancers such as ovarian, uterine, breast, colon, esophageal and prostate cancer have been linked to excess weight. Skin infections that occur in the folds of an obese person's skin are also quite common. Infertility is linked to the excess fat and its role in the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Finally, venous stasis disease is when the one-way valves of the veins become faulty and the legs swell and become discolored. This is due to the excess weight providing too much pressure for the return of venous blood.
