Do You Know the Biggest Dangers of Being Overweight?
The dangers of being overweight are well known. If you are like most people you know that every single weight loss system on the market fights the battle against the bulge. There really is no debate that the concerns of being overweight are both your health and your appearance.
In talking about the dangers of being overweight and of the morbid obesity rates, the statistics are scary:
In the United States 61% of adults are overweight or obese, approx. 300,000 deaths each year may be attributable to overweight and obesity that have serious health consequences.
The dangers of being overweight span from social and psychological problems to metabolic, cardiovascular, sleep, joint and even cancer-related health problems.
First, psychological risks of being overweight include:
depression
eating disorders
distorted body image
low self-esteem
high stress
Second, being overweight means a significantly decreased quality of life due to:
limited mobility
low physical endurance
unhappy social life
relationship problems
major discrimination socially, academically, and on the job
When it comes to overweight people and their careers, there are some sad statistics out there. For example, one research study, "Morbid Obesity, Occupational Attainment, and Earnings" published in Social Science Quarterly found that heavier people are more likely to work in low paying jobs being often left out of high-paying positions.
Should this be acceptable? NO. But whether you like it or not, it is the frustrating reality.
Type-2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent): overweight people are two times more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than people who stay in a healthy weight range. Type-2 diabetes also reduces the body's ability to control blood sugar, and is a major cause of early death, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and blindness.
Heart Disease and Stroke: these two are the leading causes of death and disability for both men and women in the US. Being overweight increases the incidence of high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Being overweight also elevates blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats) leading to heart disease, including Angina Pectoris, a chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart.
Cancer: several types of cancer are among the dangers of being overweight. In women, these include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovary, breast, and colon. Overweight men are at greater risk for developing cancer of the colon, rectum, and prostate.
Osteoarthritis: this is a common joint disorder suffered by overweight people that affects the joints in the knees, hips, and lower back. Extra weight increases the risk of osteoarthritis by placing extra pressure on these joints and wearing away the cartilage that normally protects them. For every 2 pound increase in weight, the risk of developing arthritis is increased by 9-13%. Luckily, the symptoms of arthritis improve with weight loss.
Gout: another joint disease in overweight people, caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid sometimes forms into solid stone or crystals, which become deposited in the joints. Not only is gout more common in overweight people, but the risk of developing this disorder increases with the body weight.
Sleep Apnea: one of the risks of being overweight affecting the sleep patterns, sleep apnea can cause a person to stop breathing for short periods during sleep and to snore heavily. Sleep apnea may cause daytime sleepiness and even heart failure. The risk increases with higher body weight.
Poor Female Reproductive Health is one of the dangers of being overweight that often is overlooked. Infertility, irregular ovulation, multiple complications of pregnancy, and increased risk of birth defects are just a few of the risks associated with being out of the healthy weight range and not having a good body fat percentage >>
