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Coronary Heart Disease

Being overweight or obese greatly increases the risk of many serious health problems. It raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other conditions. Extra weight puts added pressure on joints, increasing the risk of osteoarthritis. It can also lead to breathing issues like sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall well-being.

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Via Novia
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45 views

Coronary Heart Disease

Being overweight or obese greatly increases the risk of many serious health problems. It raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other conditions. Extra weight puts added pressure on joints, increasing the risk of osteoarthritis. It can also lead to breathing issues like sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall well-being.

Uploaded by

Via Novia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity?

Being overweight or obese isn't a cosmetic problem. These conditions greatly raise your risk
for other health problems.
Overweight and Obesity-Related Health Problems in Adults
Coronary Heart DiseaseAs your body mass index rises, so does your risk for coronary heart
disease (CHD). CHD is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque (plak) builds up
inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart.Plaque can
narrow or block the coronary arteries and reduce blood flow to the heart muscle. This can
cause angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) or a heart attack. (Angina is chest pain or
discomfort.)Obesity also can lead to heart failure. This is a serious condition in which your
heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart
pumps blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many
ways.Your chances of having high blood pressure are greater if you're overweight or obese.
Stroke
Being overweight or obese can lead to a buildup of plaque in your arteries. Eventually, an
area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form.If the clot is close to your brain, it
can block the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain and cause a stroke. The risk of having a
stroke rises as BMI increases.
Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body's blood glucose, or blood sugar, level is too high.
Normally, the body breaks down food into glucose and then carries it to cells throughout the
body. The cells use a hormone called insulin to turn the glucose into energy.In type 2
diabetes, the body's cells don't use insulin properly. At first, the body reacts by making more
insulin. Over time, however, the body can't make enough insulin to control its blood sugar
level.Diabetes is a leading cause of early death, CHD, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness.
Most people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Abnormal Blood Fats
If you're overweight or obese, you're at increased risk of having abnormal levels of blood
fats. These include high levels of triglycerides and LDL ("bad") cholesterol and low levels of
HDL ("good") cholesterol.Abnormal levels of these blood fats are a risk factor for CHD. For
more information about triglycerides and LDL and HDL cholesterol, go to the Health Topics
High Blood Cholesterol article.
Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises your risk for heart
disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.
You can develop any one of these risk factors by itself, but they tend to occur together. A
diagnosis of metabolic syndrome is made if you have at least three of the following risk
factors:

A large waistline. This is called abdominal obesity or "having an apple shape."


Having extra fat in the waist area is a greater risk factor for CHD than having extra fat
in other parts of the body, such as on the hips.

A higher than normal triglyceride level (or you're on medicine to treat high
triglycerides).

A lower than normal HDL cholesterol level (or you're on medicine to treat low HDL
cholesterol).

Higher than normal blood pressure (or you're on medicine to treat high blood
pressure).

Higher than normal fasting blood sugar (or you're on medicine to treat diabetes).

Cancer
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for colon, breast, endometrial, and gallbladder
cancers.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common joint problem of the knees, hips, and lower back. The condition
occurs if the tissue that protects the joints wears away. Extra weight can put more pressure
and wear on joints, causing pain.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or
shallow breaths while you sleep.
A person who has sleep apnea may have more fat stored around the neck. This can narrow the
airway, making it hard to breathe.
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a breathing disorder that affects some obese
people. In OHS, poor breathing results in too much carbon dioxide (hypoventilation) and too
little oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia).OHS can lead to serious health problems and may
even cause death.
Reproductive Problems

Obesity can cause menstrual issues and infertility in women.


Gallstones
Gallstones are hard pieces of stone-like material that form in the gallbladder. They're mostly
made of cholesterol. Gallstones can cause stomach or back pain.
People who are overweight or obese are at increased risk of having gallstones. Also, being
overweight may result in an enlarged gallbladder that doesn't work well.
Overweight and Obesity-Related Health Problems in Children and Teens
Overweight and obesity also increase the health risks for children and teens. Type 2 diabetes
once was rare in American children, but an increasing number of children are developing the
disease.
Also, overweight children are more likely to become overweight or obese as adults, with the
same disease risks.

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