Risks of obesity

Causes of obesity

Obesity is generally caused by consuming more calories, particularly those in fatty and sugary foods, than you burn off through physical activity. The excess energy is stored by the body as fat.

Obesity is an increasingly common problem because for many people modern living involves eating excessive amounts of cheap, high-calorie food and spending a lot of time sitting down, at desks, on sofas or in cars.

There are also some underlying health conditions that can occasionally contribute to weight gain, such as an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), although these type of conditions don’t usually cause weight problems if they’re effectively controlled with medication.

Treating obesity

The best way to treat obesity is to eat a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and exercise regularly.

To do this, you should:

• eat a balanced, calorie-controlled diet as recommended by your GP or weight loss management health professional (such as a dietitian)
• join a local weight loss group
• take up activities such as fast walking, jogging, swimming or tennis for 150 to 300 minutes (2.5 to 5 hours) a week
• eat slowly and avoid situations where you know you could be tempted to overeat

You may also benefit from receiving psychological support from a trained healthcare professional to help change the way you think about food and eating.

If lifestyle changes alone don’t help you lose weight, a medication called orlistat may be recommended.

If taken correctly, this medication works by reducing the amount of fat you absorb during digestion. Your GP will know whether orlistat is suitable for you.

In rare cases, weight loss surgery may be recommended.

Other obesity-related problems

Obesity can cause a number of further problems, including difficulties with daily activities and serious health conditions.

Day-to-day problems related to obesity include:

• breathlessness
• increased sweating
• snoring
• difficulty doing physical activity
• often feeling very tired
• joint and back pain
• low confidence and self-esteem
• feeling isolated

The psychological problems associated with being obese can also affect your relationships with family and friends, and may lead to depression.

Serious health conditions

Being obese can also increase your risk of developing many potentially serious health conditions, including:

• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (where fatty deposits narrow your arteries), which can lead to coronary heart disease and stroke
• asthma
• metabolic syndrome (a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity)
• several types of cancer, including bowel cancer, breast cancer and womb cancer
• gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) (where stomach acid leaks out of the stomach and into the gullet)
• gallstones
• reduced fertility
• osteoarthritis (a condition involving pain and stiffness in your joints)
• sleep apnoea (a condition that causes interrupted breathing during sleep, which can lead to daytime sleepiness with an increased risk of road traffic accidents, as well as a greater risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease)
• liver disease and kidney disease
• pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia (when a woman experiences a potentially dangerous rise in blood pressure during pregnancy)

Obesity reduces life expectancy by an average of 3 to 10 years, depending on how severe it is.

It’s estimated that obesity and being overweight contribute to at least 1 in every 13 deaths in Europe.

article from NHS