The Health Risks Of Being Excessively Overweight
Being overweight or obese is not healthy. It doesn’t take a doctor to tell you that. But, to frame how unhealthy being obese is, it’s better to list down many of the health risks of weighing so much more than the average person.
Below, you’ll find the health risks of excess amounts of body fat and weight.
1. Difficulty Breathing
A bigger body is harder to move around and it will take its toll on your lungs. Not to mention, your excess mass can prevent your lungs from fully expanding. This can make it hard for your body to get enough oxygen in to function properly.
As a result of your excess weight, you’ll find doing simple activities like walking up and down stairs difficult. This is especially true for people who have asthma and COPD.
2. Higher Risk of Fatty Liver Disease
Fat build-up in the liver can cause scar tissues that can shut down your liver completely if not managed. What’s worse is that symptoms of fatty liver disease may not appear until the damage is irreversible and life-threatening.
While doctors have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of fatty liver disease, they have identified obesity as one of the biggest risk factors.
3. High Cholesterol Levels
Although genetics play a key role in your cholesterol levels, just how much you weigh and your physical activity levels both are major factors as well. And, because people who are obese are more likely to eat unhealthy foods that can increase their “bad” cholesterol or LDL cholesterol levels, obesity also puts you at risk for high cholesterol.
To help curb this, you can try losing weight and switching to a healthier diet. Focusing on eating more whole grains, such as oats, fruits and vegetables, can all help keep both your cholesterol and weight down.
4. Sleep Apnea
Having a chubby neck also puts you at risk of sleep apnea, which is a condition characterised by pausing in breathing while asleep and can severely impede your quality of life.
Sleep apnea is no small joke. If chronic, it can lead to fatigue, mood problems, memory loss, and even heart complications.
5. Pregnancy Complications
Overweight or obese moms face a significantly higher risk of their baby being born premature, stillborn, or have problems with the brain or the spinal cord. Also, obese moms-to-be are more likely to give birth via C-section and are at risk of having high blood pressure, which can be harmful both to the mother and to the baby.
In addition to what’s already mentioned, being obese or overweight also puts you at risk for cancer, dying early, osteoarthritis, gallstones, and so much more.
So, if you have ever needed any reason to take up that offer to go through slimming treatment and start being more physically active, you need only look at this list.
Remember, we only have one body and one life. Letting ourselves suffer from a malady of illnesses just because don’t like to exercise or don’t want to give up our unhealthy lifestyles is definitely not a good way to live it.