Obesity is one of the most common health problems in the United States, and if you’re overweight, it can be seriously detrimental to your health and well-being. Obesity can cause heart disease, diabetes, breathing difficulties, high blood pressure, and even some types of cancer. Learn how obesity causes these issues with this graphic guide to your health and weight.
The onset of most health issues are related to being overweight
Being overweight is known to be a major contributing factor in many different health issues. Though there are many other factors that come into play, being overweight has been linked to metabolic disorders, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Research has also shown that obese patients diagnosed with certain cancers such as breast cancer or colon cancer have a poorer prognosis than those who are of normal weight. There are many people who don’t understand how obesity causes these chronic diseases.
With this information you can start making decisions about your lifestyle choices and make better food choices for yourself and your family.
Diabetes is on the rise in young adults
Americans of all ages are at risk for diabetes, but in recent years researchers have noted a startling rise in cases among those who are 20 to 40 years old. This has caused many experts to look at what obesity means for those outside the typically-prescribed at-risk age range.
Diabetes often develops slowly over time, and people may not realize that they are at risk until it has already progressed far enough to become dangerous. When someone is obese, their fat cells release high levels of insulin. The insulin causes the body to store sugar as fat, which can lead to insulin resistance or even type 2 diabetes.
Smoking causes cancer, but so does being overweight
We’ve all heard about smoking causing cancer. Despite what we hear, it is actually being overweight that causes the most common health issues such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Did you know that obese people are two to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease? What’s more concerning is that obesity can cause dementia in people who have other risk factors for dementia such as type 2 diabetes or stroke — something smokers don’t face.
Depression may be a result of weight gain and other related health problems
According to a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry, depression may be caused by weight gain and other related health problems such as diabetes. Researchers found that there was a higher rate of depression among people who were either obese or had some type of health issue. The researchers think this is because these groups are more likely to feel stigmatized and experience discrimination.
Depression has been linked to obesity before, but it’s not clear whether it’s an effect of obesity or vice versa. It’s possible that depression leads to obesity because of changes in appetite and metabolism or a change in how food tastes; on the other hand, it could also be the opposite—obesity can lead to feelings of hopelessness, which can lead to mood disorders like depression.
There are many things we don’t know about how one causes the other and what doctors should do about it. However, mental health professionals should take into account both physical and mental illness when treating patients with weight-related issues.
Obesity causes high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, both of which affect circulation. Obesity is associated with diabetes as well as various cancers such as colon cancer and breast cancer. Obesity increases your risk for gallstones, kidney stones, ulcers, asthma, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea as well.
Eating junk food, such as processed foods, can cause long-term damage to your health.
Most junk food is high in calories and low in nutrients. That’s why, when we eat it, our body stores more of the excess calories as fat than burns them for energy. Not only does this lead to weight gain, but also all of the health issues related to obesity. For example, overeating can lead to a poor mood and an increased risk of depression.
And if you have an unhealthy diet that includes a lot of processed foods and sugar, you’re at risk for developing diabetes or heart disease.: When your cells don’t get enough glucose because they’re unable to convert sugar into energy because your cells can’t take up insulin (which causes type 2 diabetes), you’ll eventually develop kidney failure, eye problems, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) or circulatory problems.
Dealing with all these diseases together can lead to anxiety or depression
Anxiety is a general term that includes a whole range of symptoms including, but not limited to, excessive worry, nervousness, obsessive thinking or fear of certain situations. Depression is characterized by persistent sadness or withdrawal from social contact, accompanied by an inability to experience pleasure in activities once enjoyed.
There are many reasons why these conditions may occur concurrently with obesity. The common link between these health issues is chronic stress. Stress can cause anxiety and depression which lead to other health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Eating healthy foods can help reduce the risk for all of these diseases because it lowers stress levels which will improve your mood and reduce risk for other diseases due to its role in lowering inflammation throughout the body.