Overweight or Obese

Obesity is nothing short of an epidemic in the United States. In fact, the term “Fat Americans” yields no less than 52,400 web results, and over 5 million image results (one of a person “walking” their dog from their car) on Google.

While the initial concerns over obesity is usually about how you look and how you feel about yourself, but the fact is, the longer the problem exists for you the more medical problems are going to arise, many of which can be fatal.

Obesity is a growing concern especially because overweight rates have more than double among children and tripled among adolescents. Before you write off your child’s weight as nothing more than “baby fat” or “big boned” consider the following diseases and conditions that are directly attributed to obesity.

1. Diabetes – A disorder where the pancreas is producing not enough or sometimes not any insulin. Obesity and being overweight is one of the main causes due to the body having excess glucose due to overeating.

2. Cancer – In all it’s forms and types, could be prevented with more attention to eating healthy and avoiding obesity and being overweight.

3. Congestive Heart Failure – A condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body’s other organs.

4. Enlarged Heart – The result of the heart muscle being overworked which naturally happened when you are overweight or suffer from obesity.

5. Pulmonary Embolism – A sometimes fatal blockage of an artery. Obesity and being overweight often contribute to a lack of activity which over prolonged periods can result in an embolism.

6. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – A condition in which cysts form in your ovaries. These can burst causing further complications.

7. Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease – A common condition in overweight people, it is when stomach acid and juices flow from the stomach back up into the esophagus.

8. Fatty Liver Disease – A reversible condition in which large pockets of fat accumulate in liver cells. It is a single disease that occurs worldwide in people who intake excessive amounts of alcohol, suffer from obesity, or are overweight.

9. Erectile Dysfunction – The inability to develop or maintain an erection which can be caused by a medical problem associated with obesity or a psychological condition.

10. Urinary Incontinence – The inability to control ones urine. It is frequently associated with obesity and weak bladder or pelvic floor muscles.

11. Chronic Renal Failure – Also known as chronic kidney failure, is often associated with the poor diet of those who are overweight or suffering from obesity.

12. Stroke – A lack of blood supply as the body, especially the heart, must work harder when you are obese.

13. Depression – When a person feels sad all the time. This occurs, and is aggravated, for obvious self-esteem issues stemming from being overweight.

14. Osteoarthritis – Obesity often results in extreme cartilage wear due to excess weight.

15. Hernia – When the hole in the diaphragm weakens and enlarges.

Overweight

Obesity is a preventable disease of excess body fat. Extremely overweight individuals, those with a BMI of over 50, are relegated to the section of Class III obesity, or super obesity, which was also termed malignant obesity. 60 BMI and greater is classified as super-super obesity.

Typically, given a standard deviation of height, the actual weight of people with super obesity exceeds their ideal weight by about 225%, or approximately 200-plus pounds overweight. In comparison, being a few percent overweight may actually have some long-term benefits while being 20 percent or more above ideal weight is where negative weight-related. Being a few pounds overweight has been found to be the weight group with the best quality of life and longevity in old age. The benefits of being overweight are attributed to a higher resistance to diseases and illnesses in addition to the increased resilience against fractures and broken bones.

In the United States, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that the number people categorized under super obesity had quintupled from 1986 to 2000. In 1986, one out of every 200 of the population was categorized under super obesity, in 200 that number was one in 50.

The number of people under the category of super obesity actually increased at twice the rate than the rise in normal obesity. Roland Sturm of the RAND Corporation, and chief author of the study, had this to say, “As the whole population shifts to the right [becomes heavier], the extreme categories grow the fastest. The traditional clinical approach of targeting high risk cases is only temporary and palliative in this situation, but cannot stem the trend.”

Waistlines, and obesity and overweight, is expanding in every country in the developed world. Consider this, seats in airplanes, movie theaters, and cars, especially American ones, have been steadily widened over the past half century to accommodate overweight and burgeoning bottoms. In addition, cup holders in cars and movie theaters have been made to fit unnecessarily large beverages. Usually, the only things that come in sizes so big are soft drinks from fast food vendors and convenience stores.

With overweight and various levels of obesity afflicting such an enormous number of people, super-sized coffin makers are reporting that business is brisk with demand on the rise.

Although most obesity and overweight treatment options will suggest exercise and diet, patients should realize that the primary goal of a new lifestyle is not to lose weight, but to improve their health.