Excess body fat has a detrimental impact on nearly every system in the body, raising the risk of various chronic diseases. If you’re overweight, slimming down should be a top priority. If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight can lower the risk of developing serious weight-related health conditions.
Choosing the right type of weight reduction program can be life-changing for those who are overweight. Our weight loss coach Mrs. Kiran Singh offers a structured, 3-phase weight loss program to help you reduce your weight and improve your health. Read on to learn how excessive weight can negatively impact your health.
If you’re struggling with excess weight, you aren’t alone. More than 1 in every 3 US adults is overweight. What’s more, rates of childhood obesity are rising at an alarming rate. A healthy body mass index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 24.9. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while obesity is classified as having a BMI of 30 and above.
In the past, experts believed body fat merely stored and released excess energy. We now know that fat tissue behaves more like an organ. It secretes substances, such as hormones, communicates with other parts of the body, and when there’s too much of it, it negatively impacts health. Let’s discuss some of the ways excess body fat affects overall health.
Carrying too much weight places additional strain on your joints and the cartilage that covers the ends of your bones, resulting in discomfort and stiffness. More body fat causes more inflammation, which is bad for your body, especially your joints.
The risk of joint diseases like osteoarthritis increases when you’re overweight. Fortunately, decreasing 5% of your body weight relieves pressure on your hips, lower back, and knees.
Excess weight, particularly around the waistline (visceral fat), is a significant risk for heart disease and stroke. Being overweight requires your heart to work harder to ensure that blood reaches all your cells. The added strain on the heart and circulatory system can lead to high blood pressure, and chronic inflammation can damage blood vessels.
Obesity harms brain health. It reduces cognitive function and heightens the risk of developing dementia. While obesity is a complex condition and the brain is a highly complicated organ, scientists believe that inflammation in the brain plays a role in how obesity harms cognitive function.
Your brain and body are intimately connected. Things that negatively affect your body can negatively impact your mental health and vice versa. There is a strong link between obesity and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Carrying excess weight can harm mental health, and a mental health condition can increase the risk of obesity.
Insulin resistance is connected to belly fat. This occurs when your body produces insulin, but your cells cannot adequately utilize it to remove glucose from your blood. Excess body weight increases the likelihood of high blood sugar by nearly ten times. Approximately 9 out of 10 patients who develop type 2 diabetes are overweight.
That’s not all. Excess weight increases the risk of kidney disease, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol.
To discuss weight management options, such as medically-supervised weight loss, schedule a visit with Dr. Singh today. Call our El Centro, California office to set up an appointment today. Prospective and current patients can also book your request online. Take the first step on the path to improved health!
