The majority of obese persons, as well as others around them, are aware of their condition. Unlike "silent diseases" such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and pancreatic cancer, which often go unnoticed, obesity is a clearly apparent medical condition that happens when an individual's body accumulates and stores extra body fat.
Excess fat resulting in a BMI of 30 or more can be a primary symptom of obesity, according to the clinical definition of obesity, which is determined by a person's BMI. BMI is, without a doubt, an imperfect metric. It doesn't differentiate between fat and muscle, for example, thus a fit and muscular individual and a sedentary person could have the same BMI.
Symptoms of Obesity
A high BMI is the most noticeable indication of obesity, but it isn't the only one. Obese people are more likely to have the following symptoms:
- Shortness of breath: Excess fat in your neck, chest, or belly might make it difficult to take a deep breath or influence your breathing patterns in other ways, making you feel sluggish, drowsy, or out of breath.
- Your heart has to work harder to give adequate oxygen to a larger body, which can cause racing or irregular heart beats. Exertion can cause a fast heartbeat, while an arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation can cause additional, irregular, or skipped beats (more on that in just a moment).
- Your heart has to work harder to give adequate oxygen to a larger body, which can cause racing or irregular heart beats. Exertion can cause a fast heartbeat, while an arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation can cause additional, irregular, or skipped beats (more on that in just a moment).
- Chafing between the legs occurs when skin grinds against skin, causing friction. The most prevalent cause is obesity, but chafing can also occur in athletes with well-defined quads.
- Stretch marks: If you've gained a lot of weight in a short period of time, your skin may develop these unmistakable parallel lines as it strains to accommodate.
- Varicose veins: Although excess fat in the legs may conceal varicose veins, you should notify your doctor if you suffer heaviness, pain, swelling, or skin changes.
- Joint pain as a result of extra weight on the hips, knees, and ankles: As you climb the stairs or stoop down to pick something up off the floor, you may notice this.
These aren't little annoyances; they're part of a larger set of problems that people who battle with weight face.
Complications of Obesity
Heart-Related Disorders
Obesity has long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, including:
High Blood Pressure (HBP)
Carrying too much weight puts strain on the heart, making it work harder to circulate blood throughout the body. This can lead to high blood pressure, which is a common cause of heart attacks. Obesity produces system-wide inflammation, which causes blood vessels to become stiffer than they should be, causing blood pressure difficulties. Blood pressure rises as a result of constricted blood vessels.
High Cholesterol
Obesity can increase your "bad" cholesterol (LDL, or low-density lipoproteins) while decreasing your "good" cholesterol (HDL, or high-density lipoproteins). Both of these modifications raise the risk of heart disease.
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
Obesity increases the risk of atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque (a waxy substance made up of cholesterol, blood-clotting proteins, and other chemicals) builds up on the inner walls of blood vessels throughout the body, including the heart.
Failure of the Heart
The ability of the heart to adequately pump blood is harmed with this disorder, also known as congestive heart failure. (Although "heart failure" implies that the heart stops beating, this is not the case.) It becomes overworked, making meeting the body's demand for blood and oxygen more difficult.) Excess body weight is thought to be a risk factor for heart failure on its own.
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
Obese adults are considerably more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AF), a potentially life-threatening arrhythmia that can cause a stroke, according to research.
The Heart's Scarring
Obesity can also lead to the accumulation of fat in and around the heart, known as pericardial or pericardial fat. These lipid accumulation can lead to inflammation and scarring, both of which put additional strain on this vital organ.
It’s essential to treat obesity as soon as possible. If you have severe obesity, consider talking to a weight loss surgeon.
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