How Obesity Affects Health

Obesity-related health conditions, whether alone or in combination, can significantly reduce your life expectancy. At Newton Wellesley Hospital’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery, we know that some of the common conditions resulting from obesity include:

• Depression – People with severe obesity often face constant challenges to their emotions. One may encounter challenges of repeated failure with dieting, disapproval from family and friends, and sneers and remarks from strangers. One may experience discrimination at work, cannot fit comfortably in theatre seats, ride comfortably in a bus or plane, or have to deal with other common social sttessors.
• Heartburn/GERD (gastroesophageal reflux) – Acid belongs in the stomach and rarely causes any problem when it stays there. When acid refluxes up the esophagus, the result is called gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD. “Heartburn” (acid indigestion) is a common symptom. Up to 15 percent of people with even mild symptoms of heartburn will develop a condition called Barrett's esophagus, a premalignant change in the lining membrane of the esophagus that can lead to esophageal cancer.
• High blood pressure/heart disease – Excess body weight strains the ability of your heart to function properly. The resulting hypertension (high blood pressure) can result in strokes, as well as cause significant heart and kidney damage.
• Infertility – Obesity in men and women can result in difficulty, or even inability, to have children.
• Menstrual irregularities – Women with severe excess weight often experience disruptions in their menstrual cycle, including abnormal menstrual flow and increased pain associated with their periods.
• Osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints – The additional weight placed on your joints, particularly knees and hips, results in wear and tear, along with pain caused by inflammation. Your bones and back muscles are constantly strained, resulting in disk problems, pain, and decreased mobility.
• Sleep apnea/breathing problems – Excess weight around the airway in the head and neck can obstruct the air passage. Because the obstruction is increased when sleeping on your back, you may find yourself waking frequently to reposition yourself. This loss of sleep often results in daytime drowsiness and headaches.
• Type 2 diabetes – Severe excess weight may predispose a resistance to insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. Over time, the resulting high blood sugar can cause serious damage to the body.
• Urinary stress incontinence – A large, heavy abdomen and strain on the pelvic muscles, especially associated with the effects of childbirth, may cause the muscles of your urinary bladder to be weakened. This can lead to urine leakage when coughing, sneezing, or laughing.