Health Risks Associated with Obesity
Weight loss may seem to some to simply be an aesthetic concern. However, if you have struggled with long-term obesity and excessive weight, weight loss and weight management may be necessary to improve your health and overall quality of life. Excessive weight can lead to or increase your chances of developing a number of dangerous disorders that could endanger your health. Through weight loss programs such as physician assisted medical weight loss, you can work to shed excess pounds and decrease your chances of developing such conditions.
Health conditions that could occur due to your weight include:
- High blood pressure. Increased weight can increase the resistance and decrease the flexibility of your arteries. This causes your heart to work harder to pump more blood, thus raising the pressure against your artery walls. High blood pressure can lead to hypertension, metabolic syndrome and heart attack or stroke.
- Diabetes. Obesity can cause your body to become resistant to the effects of insulin (insulin resistance). This inability to process insulin in your body can lead to diabetes which is a chronic and serious disorder.
- Osteoarthritis. Extra weight means extra pressure on your joints. If you carry excess pressure on your joints you are more likely to develop osteoarthritis which causes chronic pain (and possible deformity) of your joints due to the wear and tear of the cartilage that cushions them.
- Sleep apnea. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea are common in those who are overweight or obese. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing for brief periods of time during sleep.
- Heart disease. Excessive weight puts added pressure on your heart and blood vessel system. This can lead to a number of disorders (high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, etc.) that increase your chances of developing heart disease.
Other common health concerns associated with weight include:
- Certain cancers
- High cholesterol and triglycerides
- Gallbladder disease
- Sexual health issues (erectile dysfunction)
- Infertility
- Fatty liver disease
- Skin conditions (poor wound healing)
Treatment and Prevention of Health Risks
Your weight can affect your overall quality of life. Health risks and emotional issues such as depression or social isolation can prevent you from doing certain things or participating in activities you would normally enjoy. It is important to maintain a healthy weight in order to reduce your risk of health concerns and improve your overall wellness.
Medical weight loss is a physician supervised weight loss program that provides you with the tools and assistance to do that. Through medical weight loss you can lose weight and learn the skills you need to improve your health for the long-term and improve your quality of life. Dr. Sitapara will help you with long-term weight management and work with you to reduce your risk of obesity-related disorders and to treat (and resolve) any disorders you may have already developed.
When it comes to your weight, how you look isn’t necessarily the most important factor; it is your health. Weight loss and lifestyle changes are the first steps to optimizing and improving your overall health and wellness.
