Health hazards of

Obesity
 Obesity is a long-term (chronic) health condition that progresses over time.
 Obesity is defined by abnormal growth of the adipose tissue due to enlargement of
fat cell size (hypertrophic obesity) or abnormal growth of fat cell number
(hyperplasic obesity) or combination of both.
-Body mass index (BMI) is a calculation that takes a person’s weight and height into
account to measure body size. Doctors typically use it as a screening tool for obesity.
 In adults, obesity is often defined as having a BMI of 30 according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
BMI in kg/m2 Weight Category

Below 18.5 Underweight

18.5 to 24.9 Healthy

25.0 to 29.9 Overweight

30.0 to 39.9 Obese

40.0 or higher Severely obese

 Type 2 diabetes
 Type 2 diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose is too high.
 About 8 out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or have obesity.
 Over time, high blood glucose leads to problems such as heart disease, stroke,
kidney disease, eye problems, nerve damage, and other health problems.
 If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight
and getting regular physical activity may prevent or delay the onset of type 2
diabetes.
 Heart disease
 Heart disease is a term used to describe several problems that may affect your
heart. If you have heart disease, you may have a heart attack, heart failure, sudden
cardiac death, angina , or an abnormal heart rhythm (Arrythmia).
 High blood pressure, abnormal levels of blood fats, and high blood glucose levels
may raise your risk for heart disease.
 Losing 5 to 10 percent of your weight may lower your risk factors for developing
heart disease.
 Weight loss may improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood flow.
 Stroke
 Stroke is a condition in which the blood supply to your brain is suddenly cut off,
caused by a blockage or the bursting of a blood vessel in your brain or neck. A
stroke can damage brain tissue and make you unable to speak or move parts of
your body. High blood pressure is the leading cause of strokes.
 Sleep apnea
 Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you do not breathe regularly while
sleeping. You may stop breathing altogether for short periods of time. Untreated
sleep apnea may raise your risk of other health problems, such as type 2 diabetes
and heart disease.
 Osteoarthritis
 Osteoarthritis is a common, long-lasting health problem that causes pain,
swelling, and reduced motion in your joints. Being overweight or having obesity
may raise your risk of getting osteoarthritis by putting extra pressure on your
joints and cartilage.
 Metabolic syndrome
 Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease,
diabetes, and stroke. These conditions are
 high blood pressure
 high blood glucose levels
 high triglyceride levels in your blood
 low levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) in your blood
 too much fat around your waist
 Fatty liver diseases
 Fatty liver diseases are conditions in which fat builds up in your liver. Fatty liver
diseases include nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH). Fatty liver diseases may lead to severe liver damage,
cirrhosis, or even liver failure.
 Gallbladder diseases
 Overweight and obesity may raise your risk of getting gallbladder diseases, such
as gallstones and cholecystitis. Imbalances in substances that make up bile cause
gallstones. Gallstones may form if bile contains too much cholesterol.
 Kidney disease
 Kidney disease means that your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood like
they should. Obesity raises the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, the most
common causes of kidney disease. Even if you don’t have diabetes or high blood
pressure, obesity itself may promote kidney disease and quicken its progress.
 Pregnancy problems
 Pregnant women who are overweight or obese may have a greater chance of:
-developing gestational diabetes
-having preeclampsia—high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can cause
severe health problems for mother and baby if left untreated
-needing a cesarean section , as a result, taking longer to recover after giving birth
 What emotional and social problems are linked to overweight and obesity?
 Overweight and obesity are associated with mental health problems such as
weight bias and stigma from others, This can lead to feelings of rejection, shame,
or guilt—further worsening mental health problems.
Several possible mechanisms have been suggested to explain how obesity might increase the risks of some
cancers
 Fat tissue (also called adipose tissue) produces excess amounts of estrogen, high levels of which have been
associated with increased risks of breast, endometrial, ovarian, and some other cancers.
 People with obesity often have increased blood levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).
High levels of insulin, a condition known as hyperinsulinemia, is due to insulin resistance and precedes the
development of type 2 diabetes, another known cancer risk factor. High levels of insulin and IGF-1 may
promote the development of colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancers
 People with obesity often have chronic inflammatory conditions such as gallstones or non-alcoholic fatty
liver disease. These conditions can cause oxidative stress, which leads to DNA damage and increases the risk
of biliary tract and other cancers
 Fat cells produce hormones called adipokines that can stimulate or inhibit cell growth. For example, the level
of an adipokine called leptin in the blood increases with increasing body fat, and high levels of leptin can
promote aberrant cell proliferation. Another adipokine, adiponectin, is less abundant in people with obesity
than in people with a healthy weight and may have antiproliferative effects that protect against tumor growth.
 Fat cells may also have direct and indirect effects on other cell growth and
metabolic regulators, including mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and
AMP-activated protein kinase.
 Other possible mechanisms by which obesity could affect cancer risk include
impaired tumor immunity and changes in the mechanical properties of the
scaffolding tissue that surrounds developing tumors
 In addition to biological effects, obesity can lead to difficulties in screening and
management. For example, women with overweight or obesity have an increased
risk of cervical cancer compared with women of healthy weight, likely due to less
effective cervical cancer screening in these individuals
Cancer type (reference) Compared with people without obesity or overweight, this cancer is

Endometrial (9, 10) 7 times as likely in people with severe obesity*

2–4 times as likely in people with obesity or overweight

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (11) 4.8 times as likely in people with severe obesity
2.4–2.7 times as likely in people with obesity
1.5 times as likely in people with overweight

Gastric cardia (12) 2 times as likely in people with obesity

Liver (13, 14) 2 times as likely in people with obesity or overweight

Kidney (15, 16) 2 times as likely in people with obesity or overweight

Multiple myeloma (17) 1.1–1.2 times as likely in people with obesity or overweight
 Meningioma (18) 1.5 times as likely in people with obesity
1.2 times as likely in people with overweight

Pancreatic (19) 1.5 times as likely in people with obesity or overweight

Colorectal (20) 1.3 times as likely in people with obesity

Gallbladder (21, 22) 1.6 times as likely in people with obesity

1.2 times as likely in people with overweight

Breast
Postmenopausal (23, 24) 1.2–1.4 times as likely in people with obesity or overweight
1.2 times as likely for every 5-unit increase in BMI
Premenopausal** (24, 25) 0.8 times as likely in people with obesity or overweight

Ovarian*** (26, 27) 1.1 times as likely for every 5-unit increase in BMI

Thyroid (28) 1.3 times as likely in people with obesity

1.26 times as likely in people with overweight
 References
 [8] National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017.Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention website.
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics/statistics-report.html External link.
Updated July 17, 2017. Accessed October 25, 2017.