One way to determine if you are obese or not is through your body mass index, also known as BMI. You arrive at your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height. The result indicates your BMI. If it is over 30, then you are obese. Let us look at the severe consequences that weight gain can bring about on your mental and physical health.
The Physical Effects of Weight Gain
Cardiovascular: Obesity is the leading cause of several heart problems, including atherosclerosis, chest pain, coronary artery disease, blood clots, and heart attacks. Although it can happen to anyone, obese people are more susceptible to it. All these cardiovascular diseases can also increase the chances of stroke in obese people.
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Diabetes: Diabetes is a state in which the sugar levels in the blood are abnormally high. It is a high-risk factor for potentially serious conditions. Physical exercise can help control the sugar levels in the blood and prevent diabetes. Therefore, it is in the best interest of obese people to engage in physical activities.
Obese people with high blood sugar levels are susceptible to hypertension, leading to kidney disease and severe health complications.
Pregnancy: Obese women who become pregnant risk developing complications, such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes. Overweight pregnant women are also at risk of C-sections and other natal problems associated with giving birth.
Sleep apnea is a common problem for pregnant overweight women. This condition interrupts regular breathing while asleep. Other sleep apnea symptoms include daytime sleepiness and heavy snoring. They may also experience respiratory illnesses along with sleep apnea.
Musculoskeletal: Overweight people have more problems related to the musculoskeletal system. They include joint pain and osteoarthritis. Obesity stresses the cartilage and joints, which can damage the ligaments of the joints, such as the knee and ankle.
The Mental Effects Of Weight Gain
Physiology: Obesity-related factors can influence physiology because these factors can contribute to eating disorders. Poor eating habits and excess body fat can increase inflammatory markers to a large degree. For example, gut inflammation can contribute to weight gain.
These inflammatory markers can also lead to depression and may lead to changes in the brain chemicals associated with depressed behavior, sadness, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety.
Quality: People who carry significant weight face occupational and physical functioning issues. Being limited in doing what they love, like traveling, attending events, or visiting with family and friends, can lead to loneliness, isolation, and difficulty coping with the hardships of life.
Chronic pain can destabilize obese people and make them susceptible to depression. Losing weight can improve the quality of life.
Discrimination: One of the biggest problems for people struggling with obesity is the opposing perspectives of society. Weight discrimination refers to the attitudes and stereotypes that define obese people as unattractive, undisciplined, and lazy. These unfavorable conceptions can come from family, peers, colleagues, and healthcare providers.
Misperceptions can lead to discriminatory behavior that affects the person’s employment opportunities and self-esteem.
Image: Poor body image and weight bias go together. Body images are the feelings and thoughts a person has about their body. It may range between negative and positive experiences, meaning a person may feel positive or negative at different times. Both external and internal factors can influence the body image of obese people.
Obese people may internalize society’s stigma, which causes embarrassment and dissatisfaction about their weight. It can also cause anxiety because people judge them for their weight. This anxiety places them at risk of developing disordered eating.