The truth is that obesity is at least as dangerous to our health and the health of our
families as smoking. No sane parent would ever serve cigarettes up to their
children but these same otherwise responsible and intelligent parents will serve up
meals that are high in fat and low in nutrients. Big Macs and fries are not home
cooked meals but it seems that most of today’s kids think of them that way.
Obesity causes a 50% to 100% increase in mortality rates for all reasons. White
men between the ages of 20 and 30 with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 45 will
shorten their life expectancy by 13 years. Obese white women between the ages
of 20 to 30 with a BMI of 45 can expect to die 8 years sooner than if they were of
average weight.
Many common human diseases are said to be ‘obesity related’. The dictionary
defines an Obesity-related disease as: “Any disease for which obesity is a
significant risk factor.” Some such obesity related diseases are:
Type II Diabetes: Type II Diabetes is sometimes referred to as insulin-resistant
diabetes, non-insulin dependent diabetes, and adult-onset diabetes. Obesity is
considered to be one of the main risk factors for the onset of Type II Diabetes by
all leading medical authorities.
Hypertension: (High Blood Pressure) About 75% of cases of hypertension is
linked directly to obesity. There are many theories as to why obesity is such a high
factor in the causes of hypertension and there has even been debate about
whether the hypertension and obesity should even be classified as two different
problems.
Stroke: There are three causes for a stroke. They are:
• Clogging of arteries within the brain (e.g. lacunar stroke)
• Hardening of the arteries leading to the brain (e.g. carotid artery
occlusion)
• Embolism to the brain from the heart or an artery
The first two of these listed causes are directly related to obesity. The fat in the
blood stream attaches itself to artery walls where it hardens and reduces blood
flow.
Heart Attack: These are many factors associated with the cause of a heart attack.
Obesity is one of the major ones. Obesity raises the risk of heart disease and,
thus, heart attacks, because it's associated with high cholesterol levels, high blood
pressure and diabetes, not to mention all of the additional living flesh that must be
supplied with oxygen carrying blood that must be pumped by the heart.
Cancer: Some forms of cancer are directly related to obesity. Obesity is thought to
be a major contributing factor in breast cancer, cancer of the prostate, cancer of
the rectum and cancer of the colon, for example.
Gallbladder Disease: Obesity is a major contributing factor to the onset of
gallbladder disease. Some studies in animals suggest that saturated fats and
refined sugars are the culprits but most studies conclude that obesity itself is the
problem and not specific foods. According to the American Obesity Association,
“Gallstones are common among overweight and obese persons. Gallstones
appear in persons with obesity at a rate of 30% versus 10% in non-obese.”
Gout: Obesity causes an increase in the production of uric acid and a decrease in
the amount of elimination from the body. This causes the deposit of uric acid
crystals in joints and tissue and causes what we call gout.
Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, back and especially the knee is
directly linked to obesity. A weight loss of only 10 to 15 pounds has been proven to
relieve the symptoms and delay the progress of the disease.
Rheumatoid Arthritis has been found to be directed related to obesity in both
men and women, as well.
Birth Defects: Maternal obesity has been linked to an increased incidence of
neural tube defects in newborns.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The risk is about four times higher for a person
developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if they are obese. Obesity was found to be a
larger risk factor for the development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome than repetitive
motion or a workplace activity. In a recent study of the disease, more than 70% of
the test subjects were obese.
Renal Disease: According to the American Obesity Association, “Obesity may be
a direct or indirect factor in the initiation or progression of renal disease, as
suggested in preliminary data.”
Liver Disease: Obesity is as much of a contributing factor of liver disease as
alcohol abuse. Obesity is the major factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Body Pain: Those who are obese have body pain more often and it is much more
acute than those of normal weight. Joint pain and foot pain are reported more often
by the obese.
Pancreatitis: Those patients who are obese with Pancreatitis develop significantly
more complications, including respiratory failure, than non-obese patients.
Sleep Apnea: Upper body obesity is the most significant factor for obstructive
sleep apnea. Sixty to Seventy percent of those with obstructive sleep apnea are
obese.
The above list of obesity related diseases is only a partial one. These are many
other diseases that are either caused by or made worse by obesity.
By: Mustapha Echarkaoui
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