Health Risks Associated with Obesity

26% of men and 29% of women in the UK are obese. The majority of adults were overweight or obese. These numbers are increasing. There are many health risks associated with being obese, which are listed below. Obesity makes you vulnerable to all kinds of things and greatly increases your chances of dying early. We only have to look at what's happened with COVID-19 to see how it can make you vulnerable and increase your chances of dying, as around 75% of the people who died from the coronavirus were obese. 

Below is a list of some of the common health risks that being obese can cause.

  • Coronary heart disease, Stroke, Heart attacks
Coronary heart disease is a major cause of death in the UK and worldwide. Strokes occur when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. A stroke can cause damage to brain tissue and result in a range of disabilities, including speech and language impairment, weakened muscles.
A heart attack is a serious medical emergency where the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked. This can cause serious damage to the heart muscles and can be life-threatening.
  • ​High blood pressure (Hypertension)​
Having extra fat tissue in the body requires more oxygen and nutrients. Your heart will need to work harder to pump blood around the body. The increase in the amount of blood circulating puts extra pressure on the walls of your arteries. This is high blood pressure, and this can damage your heart and arteries over time.
  • ​​High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol
​Too much bad non-HDL cholesterol can be harmful because it sticks to the inside walls of your arteries and can lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is where fatty material builds up in the arteries. This makes it harder for blood to flow through, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.
  • Type 2 diabetes
Type 2  diabetes is a serious condition where the insulin your pancreas makes can’t work properly, or your pancreas can’t make enough insulin. This means your blood glucose levels keep rising. If left untreated, high sugar levels in your blood can seriously damage parts of your body. Over time, this can lead to other health issues such as 
  • Heart disease and Strokes. 
  • Nerve damage
  • Infections and sores
  • Vision loss 
  • Kidney problems 
  • Increased risk of a miscarriage
  • Erection problems
Overweight people are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to people who are of a normal weight.
  • Osteoarthritis 
Osteoarthritis is a progressive form of arthritis characterised by the breakdown of the cartilage in joints. It normally affects the knee, hip, and lower back joints. Having extra pounds places extra pressure on these joints and wears away the cartilage that normally protects them. Losing weight can decrease the stress and may improve symptoms you're suffering from with Osteoarthritis.
Weight loss can decrease stress on the knees, hips, and lower back and may improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
  • Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder where someone can have difficulty breathing at night, and can stop breathing for short periods during sleep is a disorder in which someone may momentarily stop breathing during sleep. People who are overweight and living with obesity are at a higher risk of having sleep apnea as they tend to have more fat stored around their neck, causing the airway to shrink.
  • Many types of cancer
Obesity can increase your risk for certain cancers. This includes two of the most common types of cancer, breast and bowel cancers, and three cancers that are the hardest to treat, pancreatic, oesophageal, and gallbladder cancers. Other cancers that increase your risk of getting include ovarian, kidney, thyroid, myeloma, liver, and pancreatic cancer.
  • Low quality of life
​Carrying all that extra weight makes everyday activities harder. Going upstairs, shopping, playing with your kids/grandkids, or just walking around the block is all that much more effort when you're obese. Breathing can be harder; you're much more likely to have joint pain, mental issues, and struggle with everyday activities.
  • Mental illnesses such as clinical depression and anxiety
​ Some studies have found a strong correlation between obesity and major depressive disorder