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Obesity and Related Diseases

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In simple words, prevention is better than cure. We are very well aware of the fact that nowadays the number of people suffering from obesity has definitely increased. While we have previously discussed the benefits of exercising Let us now discuss why one should aim at reducing weight?

The reason behind weight gain

Before discussing the side effects of obesity, let us first know how does one become obese? When a person consumes more calories than required, the person is definitely on the verge of weight gain. Obesity is also prevalent among those who do not burn the extra calories that they have consumed. Also, if one does not drink an adequate amount of water, then there is a good chance that he/she may become obese. Let me elaborate on how does this happen.  Drinking water boosts our metabolism, suppresses our appetite, and helps us in shedding water weight. At times obesity may also be because of a disease, which is obviously unavoidable.

Now post discussing the reasons behind obesity let us know its side effects.

The side effects of obesity are obviously diseases. Let us discuss them.

1)  Type II Diabetes

If you are overweight or obese, it puts you at risk of developing this deadly disease. Although the body is making enough insulin but the cells of one’s body resist the action of insulin. Now the next question that pops in one’s head is that what is insulin? It is a hormone secreted by the pancreas; insulin uses the sugar in our body and this sugar is obtained from carbohydrates. Insulin’s primary function is to maintain our blood’s sugar levels.

2) High Blood Pressure

Before discussing this disease, let us first know what blood pressure is. We know that our heartbeats. But do you know why does it beat? The beating of the heart is because it pumps blood to the organs of our body in order to provide oxygen to them. Blood pressure is the strength of this pushing. Obesity pressurizes our heart to pump in more blood and puts extra strain on our arteries. All this result in heart attack and strokes.

3) Sleep Apnea

Now the above-mentioned diseases are common and known by many. This disease, in particular, is not known by people. Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If a person snores loudly and is tired even after a full night’s sleep, chances are there that you might have sleep apnea.

The different types of sleep apnea are:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea: This takes place when throat muscles relax.
  • Central sleep apnea: Occurs when the brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
  • Complex sleep apnea syndrome: This is also termed as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, usually occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Obesity can increase the chances of sleep apnea. An obese person obviously will have more fat stored around the neck thereby making our airway smaller. A smaller airway can make breathing difficult or loud (because of snoring), or breathing may stop altogether for short periods of time.

4) Fatty Liver Disease

As the name says, this disease is prevalent when fat builds around the liver. It is further categorized into two types namely:

  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a type of fatty liver disease that is not related to heavy alcohol use
  • Alcoholic fatty liver disease, also called alcoholic steatohepatitis, is due to heavy alcohol use.

The disease affects people who are middle-aged, obese or diabetic.

Although we have discussed some major diseases related to obesity, there are a few more like:

  1. Ostoeporosis
  2. Osteoarthritis
  3. Cancer
  4. Kidney Disease

Therefore it is very important that we stay fit and healthy and avoid being obese. At times obesity also leads to depression. So, one should monitor his/her diet and refrain from getting obese. After all Obesity is a mental state, a disease brought on by boredom and disappointment. One should always aim at being fit and healthy.  Obesity is just like slow poisoning and takes away one’s life slowly and steadily.

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