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Why Is Obesity Considered a Health Concern?
Obesity is a chronic (long-term) condition defined as having excess body fat. It is diagnosed based on your body mass index (BMI). A BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is the threshold for obesity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 100 million adults living in the United States have obesity, and with obesity comes a myriad of health risks and concerns.
At Clover Internal Medicine Associates in Fort Worth, Texas, our team, led by internal medicine experts Elaine Phuah, DO, MBA, FACOI, and Leon Tio, DO, MA, FACOI, is passionate about helping you live a healthy lifestyle.
So, in this month’s blog, we review why obesity is so detrimental to your health and how we can help.
Common health concerns associated with obesity
While obesity doesn’t guarantee you’ll develop serious health conditions, it significantly increases your risk. And the more weight you gain, the greater your risk becomes.
Excess weight increases your risk of:
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Arthritis
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Some types of cancers
It’s also not uncommon to develop mental health issues such as depression when you have obesity.
Why does obesity lead to so many health problems?
When you carry excess fat and weight (especially around your waist), your body has to work much harder to accomplish several essential functions, including pumping blood and regulating hormones like insulin.
This can lead to issues with high blood pressure and blood sugar regulation, causing heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.
Extra weight can also increase bodily inflammation and put undue stress on your bones and joints, which triggers conditions like:
Metabolic syndrome
Fatty liver disease
Wear and tear arthritis (osteoarthritis)
Gout and other inflammatory conditions
Back, hip, and knee pain
The more weight you carry, the higher your health risks.
How we can help manage obesity
A surefire way to rescue your health and lower your risk of a health crisis is to start losing weight.
Even a 5-10% drop in weight can significantly reduce your risk of conditions like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Because beginning a weight-loss journey can sometimes feel incredibly overwhelming, our team at Clover Internal Medicine Associates offers comprehensive weight-loss plans to help you lose weight in a way that works best for you.
These services include nutrition plans, exercise routines, and prescription medications if necessary.
We can also help discover issues that interfere with your weight loss goals. Common factors that make it more difficult to shed extra pounds include:
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Medications like antidepressants or beta-blockers
- Sleep apnea
- Stress
To get started with your customized weight-loss plan, schedule an appointment with our team by calling Clover Internal Medicine Associates or using our online booking feature today.
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