Being overweight or obese is defined as the condition when your body mass index is greater than 30. Body mass index / BMI is the measure of body fat based on the height and weight of the average man or woman. Being obese is not an apperance issue but a medical issue. Obesity can affect a person’s health seriously and can lead to many problems like diabetes, heart diseases, sleep apnea etc.
What Is Obesity?
Obesity is a condition where a person’s weight has reached a certain level that it leads to various health problems. Being slightly overweight than your ideal body weight is not being overweight. However, not realizing the pattern of consuming surplus calories that leads to weight gain can cause layers of fat being added which ultimately leads to being overweight or obese.
Reasons For Obesity
Increase in weight can be caused because of various genetic, metabolic, hormonal and behavioral factors. The most basic reason for gaining weight is consuming more calories than what should be consumed. Some other reasons can be
Lifestyle choices: Following a diet that causes you to consume extra calories than what you’re supposed to is a major factor. Being overweight because of lifestyle choices are the ones that can be reversed by changing or making healthier choices.
Sedentary lifestyle: Being sedentary can cause weight gain even if you follow a diet that is healthy and doesn’t include any junk. Simple reason being you’re not burning any calories you’re consuming.
Health conditions: In other cases, weight gain can be because of various health conditions like PCOS, Underactive Thyroid, Stress etc. These conditions along with an inactive lifestyle and an unhealthy diet can lead to weight gain at a rapid rate.
Age: As people grow older there are hormonal changes and in most cases, lesser activity as well. A less active lifestyle can reduce metabolism and thus leads to fat accumulation.
The Health Risks Of Being Obese
High Blood Pressure
As your weight increases, there is a higher effort required by your heart to pump blood throughout the body which increases the pressure on the arteries as well. Therefore High BP can be strenuous on the heart. It’s also called Hypertension.
High Cholesterol
Accumulation of fat in the body can lead to accumulation of cholesterol as well. Increase in cholesterol can lead to an increased chance of heart attacks and stroke.
Arthritis
Increased body weight can lead to faster wear and tear of joints which leads to arthritis. Arthritis is quite common among obese persons.
Fatty Liver
Fat accumulation in the liver reduces it’s functionality. This leads to scarring, inflammation and permanent liver damage. This can lead to various health issues by itself.
Depression
Obesity can cause individuals to have a lower self esteem which causes depression and other mental health issues as well.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Girls may miss their periods if they are overweight or obese. Elevated testosterone levels in girls can affect ovulation. The side effects of this condition include acne, hair growth, and baldness. Overweight women can have PCOS and fertility issues.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where people stop temporarily breathing when they sleep. This can be heavily taxing on the heart and can lead to fatigue and reduced ability to learn.
These are just a few of the health problems caused by obesity. Apart from these obvious physical health problems it can cause a toll on your mental health as well. A good place to start to make a change is following a healthy diet and incorporating an exercise routine in your day.
