Weight and Diseases
Excess Weight Can Be Deadly
It’s a fact: Americans are getting fatter. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared that overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions. Not only are a record number of men and women considered seriously overweight, over 9 million children between ages six and 19 are carrying too much weight as well.- Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 to less than 30.0.
- Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or greater.
No matter how overweight you are, extra weight may translate into a greater risk of serious — or even life-threatening — health problems.
Being overweight affects common health issues
Here’s how being overweight affects some of the most common health issues:- Type 2 diabetes. Obesity is the leading trigger of type 2 diabetes, which is also increasing at an alarming rate in the United States. Diabetes affects the body’s ability to correctly produce or use insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Excess weight can lead to insulin resistance. Diabetes can cause serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and damage to the peripheral nervous system. Being moderately overweight significantly increases the risk of diabetes; on the flip side, some people with type 2 diabetes may reverse it by losing just 10 percent of their body weight.
- High blood pressure. The more overweight you are, the harder your heart has to work to pump blood to your body. This increases the pressure on the artery walls, thereby increasing blood pressure and raising your risk of heart attack or stroke.
- Heart disease. Coronary artery disease, in which plaque and fatty substances build up in the arteries and reduce or block the flow of blood, is more prevalent in people who are overweight. Impaired blood flow to the heart can cause heart attack or stroke.
- Cancer. Overweight women have a higher risk for certain cancers, including breast, colon, gallbladder, and uterus. Overweight men have a higher risk of colon and prostate cancers.
- Sleep apnea. Being overweight is a leading factor in sleep apnea, a disorder which restricts breathing and causes people to actually stop breathing for brief periods during the night, often hundreds of times in a single night. Sleep apnea is also associated with heavy, disruptive snoring, poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and high blood pressure.
- Osteoarthritis. Extra weight adds extra stress to the knees and hips, which can damage them over time and lead to osteoarthritis and the need for joint replacements. To make matters worse, obese people often are not good candidates for joint replacement surgery.
The good news is, getting down to a healthy weight can also cut your risk for these diseases. Talk to your physician about your risk and whether losing weight could help you get healthier.
Take Action!
- Schedule a physical exam with your physician to discuss your weight and disease risk. For a referral to a Scripps physician, visit our doctor finder, or call 1-800-SCRIPPS (800-727-4777) for personal assistance.
- See our classes and programs listings and attend a free weight management, healthy eating or cooking class.
- Our weight management program offers a variety of services to help you achieve your weight loss goals.