PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF OBESITY

Published on November 5, 2010 in Uncategorized. 32 Comments

The physical and medical effects of obesity are well documented and thoroughly researched. However, obesity is not only a physical condition. People who suffer from obesity are subject to a range of psychological and social effects as well. Not surprisingly research has shown that obesity is linked to low body image and consequentially to low self-esteem. Western society emphasizes physical appearance, in which weight carried a significant role, and often equates attractiveness with slimness, especially for women.

Such messages are internalized by obese people, making you feel not only unattractive, but also unworthy. Obese children have also been reported to be suffering from more behavioral problems then children who so not suffer from obesity. Obesity has been linked to clinical depression, especially in women, and can lead to withdrawal, suicide and insanity.

The effects of obesity range outside the self too. Obese people are stigmatized against in much of the modern world. People tend to think of the obese as gluttonous, lazy, or both. And being obese often means suffering prejudice and discrimination when searching for a job, at school, and in social situations.

Rejection, shame, and depression are compounded on the medical difficulties faced by obese people, and create a vicious cycle which makes the struggle to lose weight even more difficult than it already is.

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METABOLIC EFFECTS OF OBESITY

Published on November 5, 2010 in Uncategorized. 35 Comments

Along with the obvious physical effects of obesity, there is a whole range of hidden metabolic effects on the obese body. These range from excessive hairiness, menstrual disorders and infertility to silent killers like Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart failure.

Cardiac effects of obesity include ischemic heart disease, which means the heart itself does not get enough blood and is the most common cause of death in Western countries, angina, heart attack and congestive heart failure which can cause death and significantly reduce your physical and mental health.

Obese people often suffer from abnormal cholesterol levels, deep vein thrombosis, high blood pressure and pulmonary embolism, all making the risk of suffering a stroke higher, along with the cardio-vascular diseases. Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the US and the number one cause for serious disability, and occur when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or when blood supply to the brain is disrupted. A stroke can cause death or leave the affected area of the brain unable to function. Leading to an inability to move one or more limbs, an inability to understand or formulate speech, blindness on one side and more.

The effects of obesity extends to other conditions too, which may not be lethal but which seriously harm your quality of life. Chronic renal failure, which damages the kidneys leads to painful gallstones. High levels of uric acid (normally found in urine) lead to “the rich man’s disease” gout, which is an especially painful type of arthritics. And although the mechanisms have not been uncovered yet, one of the effects of obesity is a higher risk of cancer. Obesity has been linked to breast, ovarian, esophageal, colorectal, liver, pancreatic, gallbladder, stomach, endometrial, cervical, prostate and kidney cancer as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

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PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF OBESITY

Published on November 5, 2010 in Uncategorized. 19 Comments

The physical effects of obesity are the direct result of the sheer body mass of the obese person. Obese people obviously suffer from poor mobility and pains in the lower back, and they tend to develop osteoarthritis causing severe pains in the joints. Cellulites and stretch marks are common external effects, and lack of ventilation in the fold of fat often leads to blotchy skin and frequent inflammations. Erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence are other unattractive features.

Heartburn caused by GERD (Gastro-esophageal reflux disease) is also common, and occurs when the esophageal fails to close properly. This means the content of the stomach (mostly stomach acid) leak back into the esophagus and eats away its protective mucus.

But there are more serious physical effects of obesity. Due to their excessive weight, obese people can suffer for the so called Pickwickian syndrome, where they fail to breathe during sleep or even during waking hours. Aside from risking asphyxiation, this condition causes severe strain to the heart, which may eventually lead to heart failure.

For women obesity is especially dangerous during pregnancy, and can lead to many complications during pregnancy, birth defects and even stillbirths.

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EFFECTS OF OBESITY

Published on October 29, 2010 in Uncategorized. 10 Comments

 

In the US and the rest of the western world being fat is no fun. True, in times by gone, and in some parts of the world, it is considered a symbol of wealth and fertility, but Western civilization is right on the money this time. The effects of obesity are all bad.

How is obesity bad for you? Broadly speaking we can divide the effects of obesity into three categories – physical and metabolic and physiological. Some effects may be lethal, and can directly cause your death, but even those effects which are not directly life threatening make the quality of your life deteriorate quickly. Joint pains, shortness of breath, poor self-image and discrimination are all regular features in the life of an obese person. And most of them can be avoided or even made to go away once the weight is lost.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the effects of obesity.