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Obesity Related Medical Conditions
Arthritis
Birth Defects
- Maternal obesity (BMI > 29) has been
associated with an increased incidence of neural tube defects (NTD) in
several studies, although variable results have been found in this area.
- Folate intake, which decreases the risk of NTD’s, was
found in one study to have a reduced effect with higher pre-pregnancy
weight.
Cancers
Breast Cancer
- Postmenopausal women with obesity have a higher risk
of developing breast cancer. In addition, weight gain after menopause may
also increase breast cancer risk.
- Women who gain nearly 45 pounds or more after age 18
are twice as likely to develop breast cancer after menopause than those
who remain weight stable.
- High BMI has been associated with a decreased risk of
breast cancer before menopause. However, a recent study found an increased
risk of the most lethal form of breast cancer, called inflammatory breast
cancer (IBC), in women with BMI as low as 26.7 regardless of menopausal
status.
- Premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer who
are overweight appear to have a shorter life span than women with lower
BMI.
- The risk of breast cancer in men is also increased by
obesity.
Cancers of the Esophagus and Gastric Cardia
- Obesity is strongly associated with cancer of the
esophagus and the risk becomes higher with increasing BMI.
- The risk for gastric cardia cancer rises moderately
with increasing BMI.
Colorectal Cancer
- High BMI, high calorie intake, and low physical
activity are independent risk factors of colorectal cancer.
- Larger waist size (abdominal obesity) is associated
with colorectal cancer.
Endometrial Cancer (EC)
- Women with obesity have three to four times the risk
of EC than women with lower BMI.
- Women with obesity and diabetes are reported to have
a 3-fold increase in risk for EC above the risk of obesity alone.
- Body size is a risk factor for EC regardless of where
fat is distributed in the body.
Renal Cell Cancer
- Consistent evidence has been found to associate
obesity with renal cell cancer, especially in women.
- Excess weight was reported in one study to account
for 21% of renal cell cancer cases.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
- Obesity increases CVD risk due to its effect on blood
lipid levels.
- Weight loss improves blood lipid levels by lowering
triglycerides and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increasing HDL
(“good”) cholesterol.
- Weight loss of 5% to 10% can reduce total blood
cholesterol.
- The effects of obesity on cardiovascular health can
begin in childhood, which increases the risk of developing CVD as an adult.
- Overweight and obesity increase the risk of illness and
death associated with coronary heart disease.
- Obesity is a major risk factor for heart attack, and is
now recognized as such by the American Heart Association.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
- Obesity has been established as a risk factor for CTS.
- The odds of an obese patient having CTS were found in
one study to be almost four times greater than that of a non-obese patient.
- Obesity was found in one study to be a stronger risk
factor for CTS than workplace activity that requires repetitive and forceful
hand use.
- Seventy percent of persons in a recent CTS study were
overweight or obese.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)
- Patients with CVI, an inadequate blood flow through the
veins, tend to be older, male, and have obesity.
Daytime Sleepiness
- People with obesity frequently complain of daytime
sleepiness and fatigue, two probable causes of mass transportation
accidents.
- Severe obesity has been associated with increased
daytime sleepiness even in the absence of sleep apnea or other breathing
disorders.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Obesity increases the risk of DVT, a condition that
disrupts the normal process of blood clotting.
- Patients with obesity have an increased risk of DVT
after surgery.
Diabetes (Type 2)
- As many as 90% of individuals with type 2 diabetes are
reported to be overweight or obese.
- Obesity has been found to be the largest environmental
influence on the prevalence of diabetes in a population.
- Obesity complicates the management of type 2 diabetes
by increasing insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, which makes drug
treatment for type 2 diabetes less effective.
- A weight loss of as little as 5% can reduce high blood
sugar.
End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
- Obesity may be a direct or indirect factor in the
initiation or progression of renal disease, as suggested in preliminary
data.
Gallbladder Disease
- Obesity is an established predictor of gallbladder
disease.
- Obesity and rapid weight loss in obese persons are
known risk factors for gallstones.
- Gallstones are common among overweight and obese
persons. Gallstones appear in persons with obesity at a rate of 30% versus
10% in non-obese.
Gout
- Obesity contributes to the cause of gout -- the deposit
of uric acid crystals in joints and tissue.
- Obesity is associated with increased production of uric
acid and decreased elimination from the body.
Heat Disorders
- Obesity has been found to be a risk factor for heat
injury and heat disorders.
- Poor heat tolerance is often associated with obesity.
Hypertension
- Over 75% of hypertension cases are reported to be
directly attributed to obesity.
- Weight or BMI in association with age is the strongest
indicator of blood pressure in humans.
- The association between obesity and high blood pressure
has been observed in virtually all societies, ages, ethnic groups, and in
both genders.
- The risk of developing hypertension is five to six
times greater in obese adult Americans, age 20 to 45, compared to non-obese
individuals of the same age.
Impaired Immune Response
- Obesity has been found to decrease the body’s
resistance to harmful organisms.
- A decrease in the activity of scavenger cells, that
destroy bacteria and foreign organisms in the body, has been observed in
patients with obesity.
Impaired Respiratory Function
- Obesity is associated with impairment in respiratory
function.
- Obesity has been found to increase respiratory
resistance, which in turn may cause breathlessness.
- Decreases in lung volume with increasing obesity have
been reported.
Infections Following Wounds
- Obesity is associated with the increased incidence of
wound infection.
- Burn patients with obesity are reported to develop
pneumonia and wound infection with twice the frequency of non-obese.
Infertility
- Obesity increases the risk for several reproductive
disorders, negatively affecting normal menstrual function and fertility.
- Weight loss of about 10% of initial weight is effective
in improving menstrual regularity, ovulation, hormonal profiles and
pregnancy rates.
Liver Disease
- Excess weight is reported to be an independent risk
factor for the development of alcohol related liver diseases including
cirrhosis and acute hepatitis.
- Obesity is the most common factor of nonalcoholic
steatohepatitis, a major cause of progressive liver disease.
Low Back Pain
- Obesity may play a part in aggravating a simple low
back problem, and contribute to a long-lasting or recurring condition.
- Women who are overweight or have a large waist size are
reported to be particularly at risk for low back pain.
Obstetric and Gynecologic Complications
- Women with severe obesity have a menstrual disturbance
rate three times higher than that of women with normal weight.
- High pre-pregnancy weight is associated with an
increased risk during pregnancy of hypertension, gestational diabetes,
urinary infection, Cesarean section and toxemia.
- Obesity is reportedly associated with the increased
incidence of overdue births, induced labor and longer labors.
- Women with maternal obesity have more Cesarean
deliveries and higher incidence of blood loss during delivery as well as
infection and wound complication after surgery.
- Complications after childbirth associated with obesity
include an increased risk of endometrial infection and inflammation, urinary
tract infection and urinary incontinence.
Pain
- Bodily pain is a prevalent problem among persons with
obesity.
- Greater disability, due to bodily pain, has been
reported by persons with obesity compared to persons with other chronic
medical conditions.
- Obesity is known to be associated with musculoskeletal
or joint-related pain.
- Foot pain located at the heel, known as Sever’s
disease, is commonly associated with obesity.
Pancreatitis
- Obesity is a predictive factor of outcome in acute
pancreatitis. Obese patients with acute pancreatitis are reported to develop
significantly more complications, including respiratory failure, than
non-obese.
- Patients with severe pancreatitis have been found to
have a higher body-fat percentage and larger waist size than patients with
mild pancreatitis.
Sleep Apnea
- Obesity, particularly upper body obesity, is the most
significant risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea.
- There is a 12 to 30-fold higher incidence of
obstructive sleep apnea among morbidly obese patients compared to the
general population.
- Among patients with obstructive sleep apnea, at least
60% to 70% are obese.
Stroke
- Elevated BMI is reported to increase the risk of
ischemic stroke independent of other risk factors including age and systolic
blood pressure.
- Abdominal obesity appears to predict the risk of stroke
in men.
- Obesity and weight gain are risk factors for ischemic
and total stroke in women.
Surgical Complications
- Obesity is a risk factor for complications after a
surgery.
- Surgical patients with obesity demonstrate a higher
number and incidence of hospital acquired infections compared to normal
weight patients.
Urinary Stress Incontinence
- Obesity is a well-documented risk factor for urinary
stress incontinence, involuntary urine loss, as well as urge incontinence
and urgency among women.
- Obesity is reported to be a strong risk factor for
several urinary symptoms after pregnancy and delivery, continuing as much as
6 to 18 months after childbirth.
Other
- Several other obesity-related conditions have been
reported by various researchers including:
- abdominal hernias, acanthosis nigricans, endocrine
abnormalities, chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia, dermatological effects,
depression, elephantitis, gastroesophageal reflux, heel spurs, hirsutism,
lower extremity edema, mammegaly (causing considerable problems such as
bra strap pain, skin damage, cervical pain, chronic odors and infections
in the skin folds under the breasts, etc.), large anterior abdominal
wall masses (abdominal paniculitis with frequent panniculitis, impeding
walking, causing frequent infections, odors, clothing difficulties, low
back pain), musculoskeletal disease, prostate cancer, pseudo tumor
cerebri (or benign intracranial hypertension), and sliding hiatil
hernia.
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