The primary
concern of overweight and obesity is one of health and not appearance.
Obesity is a serious disease with serious health risks.
Obesity Health
Risks - Premature Death
An estimated
300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity.
The risk
of death rises with increasing weight.
Even moderate
weight excess (10 to 20 pounds for a person of average height) increases
the risk of death, particularly among adults aged 30 to 64 years.
Individuals
who are obese (BMI > 30) have a 50 to 100% increased risk of premature
death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.
Obesity
Health Risks - Heart Disease
The incidence
of heart disease (heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac
death, angina or chest pain, and abnormal heart rhythm) is increased
in persons who are overweight or obese (BMI > 25).
High blood
pressure is twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who
are at a healthy weight.
Obesity
is associated with elevated triglycerides (blood fat) and decreased
HDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol").
Obesity
Health Risks - Diabetes
A weight
gain of 11 to 18 pounds increases a person's risk of developing type
2 diabetes to twice that of individuals who have not gained weight.
Over 80%
of people with diabetes are overweight or obese.
Obesity
Health Risks - Cancer
Overweight
and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of
cancer including endometrial (cancer of the lining of the uterus), colon,
gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer.
Women
gaining more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk
of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women whose weight remains
stable.
Obesity
Health Risks - Breathing Problems
Sleep
apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping) is more common in obese
persons.
Obesity
is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma.
Obesity
Health Risks - Arthritis
For every
2-pound increase in weight, the risk of arthritis increases by 9 to
13%.
Symptoms
of arthritis can improve with weight loss.
Obesity
Health Risks - Reproductive Complications & Complications of Pregnancy
Obesity
during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of death in both
the baby and the mother and increases the risk of maternal high blood
pressure by 10 times.
In addition
to many other complications, women who are obese during pregnancy are
more likely to have gestational diabetes and problems with labor and
delivery.
Infants
born to women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to be high
birthweight and, therefore, may face a higher rate of Cesarean section
delivery and low blood sugar (which can be associated with brain damage
and seizures).
Obesity
during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of birth defects,
particularly neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.
Obesity
in premenopausal women is associated with irregular menstrual cycles
and infertility.
Obesity
Health Risks - Additional Health Consequences
Overweight
and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall bladder disease,
incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression.
Obesity
can affect the quality of life through limited mobility and decreased
physical endurance as well as through social, academic, and job discrimination.
Obesity
Health Risks - Children & Adolescents
Risk factors
for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure,
occur with increased frequency in overweight children and adolescents
compared to those with a healthy weight.
Type 2
diabetes, previously considered an adult disease, has increased dramatically
in children and adolescents. Overweight and obesity are closely linked
to type 2 diabetes.
Overweight
adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
This increases to 80% if one or more parent is overweight or obese.
The most
immediate consequence of overweight, as perceived by children themselves,
is social discrimination.
