The Top Dangers of Obesity

Aug 10, 2009 @ 03:48 am by Guest Author
by Patsie Adams

When you are obese, you have to deal with not liking what you see in the mirror. It’s hard to find clothes. Sometimes you can’t even fit into an airplane seat. These are actually the least of your problems. What’s more worrisome is that obesity comes with some serious health risks.

An obese person is generally someone more than 40 to 75 pounds overweight. A person is considered morbidly obese if they weigh 100 pounds or more than what they should. Both conditions come with higher health risks.

When youre obese, your body is hauling more weight than it was designed to carry. This puts extra pressure on bones, muscles and joints. Imagine the difference between carrying a sack with 50 pounds of weight on your back compared to a sack with 5 pounds of weight. Now think about the burden that 50-pounder puts on your frame.

The joints are what carries the brunt of all this extra weight. And these happen to be the most delicate parts of our frames. Hips and ankles are at risk, but most especially the knees. The knee joints have to support majority of our body weight.

Joints are naturally our bodies weakest spots because it is here where separate bone pieces come together. The knees are at particular risk for an obese person. The knee is a very complex joint that faces wear and tear with every single step we take.

Just think that each step can put twice, triple, sometimes four times the normal pressure on those joints. This causes the joints to wear out earlier than usual. This is why pain and abnormal knee conditions often accompany obesity.

Hips joints and ankles are also at risk, But usually pain and injuries among the obese start manifesting on the knees. Not surprising, since the knees carry a big part of our body weight throughout our walking and standing.

Aside from the extra weight on the frame and joints, all that extra weight puts pressure on the bodys systems too. First of all, large amounts of body fat dont just show up on the outside. Fat tissue can form internally around organs.

Large amounts of body fat can actually crowd internal organs and put pressure against them. This pressure can cause the organs to start working differently, and can interfere with normal bodily functions.

All the extra poundage makes it harder for organs to operate and makes the body work harder. This is why obesity often leads to high blood pressure and a strained heart. Heart disease, heart attacks and strokes could develop.

Obesity also reflects a poor diet that is high on calories from unhealthy foods. Consuming too much sugar and processed foods can lead to diabetes. And the diabetes can lead to damaging blood vessels, nerves and eyes.

Some have even lost their eyesight or a foot or other appendage due to diabetes and poor circulation. Definitely something to think about!

There is hope for the obese. But you must get started right away with a weight loss plan involving both diet and exercise.

You will really need to get started on eating right and get moving on an exercise program. It’s been done. You can overcome obesity too!

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