Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital
Weight Loss Surgery (Bariatrics)
Obesity-Related Health Risks
Obesity can cause a number of additional risks, called comorbidities that have the potential to affect quality of life and reduce life expectancy. Someone who is 40 percent overweight is twice as likely to die as someone of average weight.
Some of the diseases and conditions associated with obesity include:
Stroke and heart disease
Overweight individuals are more likely to have high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor in stroke and heart disease. They are also at greater risk for angina, which is chest pain that is caused by a decrease of oxygen to the heart, and they are more likely to die suddenly from stroke or heart disease without exhibiting any previous symptoms.
Diabetes
Obesity causes a resistance to insulin, a hormone that regulates the body's blood sugar levels. This causes high blood sugar and leads to Type 2 diabetes, which is a major cause of blindness, stroke, heart disease and early death. Overweight people are twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who are not overweight.
Cancer
Obesity has been linked to cancer of the breast, uterus, gallbladder, cervix and ovaries in women, and of the prostate, rectum and colon in men.
Gallbladder disease and gallstones
Although it is not exactly clear how obesity is connected to these conditions, the risk of disease increases as weight increases.
Osteoarthritis
Extra weight puts extra pressure on the joints, especially the knees, hips and lower back. This can wear away the protective cushion around the joints (the cartilage), causing pain, inflammation, decreased mobility and disk problems in the back.
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