Health Risk of Obesity

Obesity and overweight are one of the major nutritional problems today.  Obesity and overweight precipitate such conditions as heart disease, kidney trouble, diabetes, high blood pressure, malnutrition, back pain, complications during pregnancy, and psychological disturbances, to name but a few.  Statistics show clearly that people who maintain a healthy weight have a longer life span, have more energy, feel better about themselves and are generally healthier than people who are overweight.

So, what causes some people to gain weight to the point of obesity?  Glandular problems and a slow metabolism certainly account for a certain number of obese adults and children, but emotional tension, unhappiness, boredom, stress, habit and a general love of food are by far the most common contributing factors.

Problems & Health Risks

An unusual contributing factor to obesity is malnutrition.  Many obese people suffer from malnutrition.  When there is an inadequate intake of all the essential nutrients, fat is not efficiently burned up in the body.  Fat is burned only if sufficient energy is produced by the body, and energy production depends on almost every nutrient available to the body.

Heart disease is responsible for thousands of deaths each year in Australia and is the biggest single cause of death each year in the adult population.  The first attacks are often fatal - by the time your body signals an attack with angina pain, your arteries supplying the heart may already be 90% blocked by plaque.  Plaque is directly related to cholesterol, or fat, deposits on the walls of the arteries.  High cholesterol levels are directly related to obesity and a related high fat diet.

Obese people tend to have high blood pressure, and losing weight will lead to a reduction of blood pressure, lessening the risk of stroke.

Excessive amount of sugar in the blood - hyperglycaemia or diabetes - is usually the consequence of a high fat diet related to obesity.  Diabetes is a serious disease accounting for around 20% of all adult-onset blindness and amputations, and a significant number of heart attacks.

Diabetes also leads to nerve disturbances such as a decrease in the senses of smell, taste, hearing and sexual function.

Reducing weight can significantly decrease the risk of developing adult-onset diabetes and reducing the medication and risk factor of those diagnosed as diabetic.

A diet high in fat and cholesterol that is also high in sugar and deficient in fibre makes the obese person vulnerable to colon cancer.  Colon cancer is directly food intake related.  A healthy food regimen which is high in fibre, acts as a protection against colon cancer.

Cirrhosis of the liver is two and a half times more common in obese people.  Obesity is also clearly linked with liver disease.  Most gallstones are 85% cholesterol and are formed when concentrations of blood cholesterol are so high as to forms deposits.  When the liver is damaged, sufficient amounts of energy-producing enzymes cannot be produced.
Obesity puts a strain on the kidneys and can result in malfunction.  Symptoms include fatigue, the presence of protein in the urine (ketones) and oedema. People who are obese often have elevated levels of uric acid, which is related to gout, kidney disease and high blood pressure.

One of the major causes of osteoporosis is not only lack of weight bearing exercise and lack of calcium.  Excessive high fat animal protein has been implicated as an important factor.  Animal proteins in large quantities may form acids which must be neutralised by the body to maintain a balance between acidity and alkalinity.  The minerals of the bone masses is essential in this process.  A gradual loss of bone mass results from this imbalance.

Headaches are also common in obese persons.  Most headaches, including migraine, are caused by abnormal circulation and food sensitivities.

Constipation is a direct result of poor food choices, low in fibre and high in fats and sugars.  Constipation is regarded as annoying but fairly harmless.  However, chronic constipation can lead to haemorrhoids, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, diverticulitis and colon cancer.

New research suggests that some individuals who experience an uncontrollable urge to eat may have some damaged cells in the Hypothalamus gland, the part of the brain that regulates the desire to eat.  This damage actually occurs from certain foods or environmental substances to which the individual is allergic.  Certain medications, viral infections, nutritional deficiencies or brain injury may also be a contributing factor.

Interestingly, obese persons may have desire for certain foods to which they have an allergic addiction.  If they do not obtain this food, they experience withdrawal symptoms.  In both situations, a diet high in all essential nutrients and avoidance of the offending substance will gradually result in weight reduction and a reduction in cravings for certain foods.

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