Overweight and obesity are associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and some cancers. In addition, overweight or obese people are at increased risk for illness and death due to violence and injury.
Diabetes
Obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes. Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes (previously called noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or maturity-onset diabetes). Type 2 diabetes is often considered a lifestyle disease and is associated with overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, and poor dietary habits. The prevalence of diabetes is dramatically higher in obese and overweight people. In fact, nationally 80 percent of people with diabetes are overweight.
Hypertension, Stroke, and Heart Disease
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of high cholesterol, hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiovascular disease, angina, heart attack, and stroke. The prevalence of high cholesterol is greater in overweight and obese adults than those of ideal weight. The most recent data show that 32.9 percent of Utahns who were obese had high cholesterol levels compared to 19.7 percent of those who were at their ideal weight. This is also true for high blood pressure.
Reproductive Health
Obesity has an impact on women's reproductive health as well. Obese women are more likely to have irregular menstrual cycles, are more likely to suffer from infertility problems and may have lower success rates with infertility treatments. Studies have found that obese women are at increased risk for hormonal contraceptive failure. In pregnancy, obese women are at increased risk for birth defects, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, eclampsia, cesarean section, macrosomia, instrumental delivery, fetal distress, stillbirth, and early neonatal death. Obese pregnant women are also more likely to have longer labors and are more likely to have their labors induced or augmented.
Arthritis
Being overweight or obese increases the risk for certain types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis, a slowly evolving degenerative disease, is the most common form of arthritis, and is a major cause of pain and physical disability in older adults. The relationship between obesity and
osteoarthritis may be explained because a person who is overweight or obese has increased force exerted on their joints, which may result in a breakdown of cartilage and increased pain. Across all age groups obese adults appear to be more likely to report arthritis than those at ideal weight.
Asthma
Childhood and adult asthma is a growing health problem. Asthma is one of the ten leading chronic conditions that results in physical activity limitation. It appears that more obese adults have asthma compared to those at an ideal weight. Although it is unclear whether obesity leads to asthma or asthma leads to obesity, unmanaged
asthma may result in a decrease in activity that can lead to weight gain. Additionally, restricted physical activity may lead to asthma since only physical activity allows the lungs to fully expand. Children who are overweight may have a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms, including asthma. Children with asthma and higher measures of BMI may miss more school and take more prescription medications than children without asthma.
Cancer
Obesity is associated with cancers of the colon, breast, endometrium (lining of the uterus), kidney, and esophagus. Since some studies show a decreased risk for cervical, gallbladder, prostate, and thyroid cancer in people with low-fat diets and/or a higher level of physical activity, an obesity link to these diseases is also suspected. Obesity is also associated with Hodgkin’s disease in men; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in women; and cancers of the pancreas, bladder, ovary, brain, liver, small intestine, and larynx in both men and women.
Violence and Injury
Obesity can increase the risk of injury. Obese and overweight people may be at higher risk for injury and deaths related to motor vehicle crashes. Injury can result from the use of emergency medical equipment that is not designed to handle obese people. Additionally, obese people may be more vunerable to weight-based teasing and social isolation, thereby resulting in low self-esteem, depression, and suicide.
For more information, see Chapter 2: Overweight and Obesity and Co-Existing Chronic Diseases (1.25MB PDF) of the Tipping the Scales Toward a Healthier Population - A Report of Overweight and Obesity in Utah. (August 2005)
