Your health and being overweight
Why is obesity and overweight
important?
Obesity and overweight is a recognised medical condition. People who carry more weight than they should around their middle are more likely to be at risk of developing metabolic syndrome. This is a collection of conditions (one of which is obesity) which means people are at higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke and at an increased risk of death.
Obesity has also been associated with an increased risk of some cancers and has also been linked with sleep apnoea, depression, a lower quality of life, tiredness, fatigue and difficulty carrying out physical activity. Research has shown that losing weight can reverse some of these effects on the body.
What causes people to be overweight and what can I do about it?
The cause of obesity and overweight is not as straightforward as simply taking in too many calories or not exercising enough. People with obesity and overweight have reported that they feel there is a large amount of stigma against them because of this misconception and this makes seeking help even more difficult.
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There are many complex systems in our bodies which interact to control how hungry we feel, how much we eat and when, how we metabolise the food we eat and how much fat we store. These systems are not simply controlled by will power alone - this is just one small part of the equation.
That is why getting medical help with controlling your appetite as well as some of the other lifestyle factors which can affect this, can help you to lose weight and feel better as a whole, both in the short-term, and more importantly longer term.
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What are the benefits of losing
weight?
Lowering your weight can have enormous benefits not only to your physical health but can also help improve your mental health.
Weight loss can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. It can also lower your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol levels and decrease the strain placed on your back and joints, leading to increased mobility.
It has also been shown to be associated with a better quality of life overall, improved self-esteem and and an improvement in mood and well-being.
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Some of these effects can be seen in people with a high BMI who lose just 5% of their body weight and the effects are greater still when weight loss reaches 10% or more of their starting weight.
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