Health risks linked to obesity

Two of the major risk factors for becoming obese according to the Mayo Clinic are poor dietary choices and inactivity.[1]

From a medical perspective, an obese person has accumulated enough body fat that it can have a negative effect on their health. If a person's weight is at least 20% higher than it should be, he/she is generally considered obese. If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 25 and 29.9 you are considered overweight.[2] If your BMI is 30 or over you are considered obese.[3] The term obese can also used in a more general way to indicate someone who is overweight.[4]

## Contents

* 1 Causes of obesity
* 2 Symptoms of obesity and excess weight
* 3 Obesity and its negative impact on intelligence
* 4 Obesity and increases in cancer risk
* 5 Increased morbidity risk
* 6 See also
* 7 External links
* 7.1 Weight loss resources and tips
* 7.2 Supplements
* 8 References

## Causes of obesity[edit]

Two of the major risk factors for becoming obese according to the Mayo Clinic are poor dietary choices and inactivity.[5] Most individuals are overweight due to their dietary and exercise habits.[6]

## Symptoms of obesity and excess weight[edit]

Some of the medical conditions associated with obesity include: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, arthritis, cancer, sleep apnea, reproductive problems in women and varicose veins.[7] According to the National Cancer Institute, "obesity is associated with increased risks of cancers of the esophagus, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), colon and rectum, kidney, pancreas, thyroid, gallbladder, and possibly other cancer types."[8] In addition, medical science research indicates that excess weight impairs brain function.[9]

Medical research indicates that excess weight impairs brain function.[10]

According to the Mayo Clinic some of the symptoms associated with obesity can include:

“  |

* Difficulty sleeping

* Snoring

* Sleep apnea

* Pain in your back or joints

* Excessive sweating

* Always feeling hot

* Rashes or infection in folds of your skin

* Feeling out of breath with minor exertion

* Daytime sleepiness or fatigue

* Depression[11]

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Sleep problems have a negative impact on mental performance. Adequate sleep, on the other hand, improves processes such as memory, attentional ability, alertness, mental insight and creativity.[12]

Some other problems associated with obesity include:

* Increased suicide risk \- Concerning the issue of depression, atheists do have higher rates of suicide than the general population. For more information please see: Atheism and depression and Atheism and suicide.

* Negative effects on lung function/respiratory disease: According to Harvard University's School of Public Health: "Excess weight impairs respiratory function via mechanical and metabolic pathways. The accumulation of abdominal fat, for example, may limit the descent of the diaphragm, and in turn, lung expansion, while the accumulation of visceral fat can reduce the flexibility of the chest wall, sap respiratory muscle strength, and narrow airways in the lungs. Cytokines generated by the low-grade inflammatory state that accompanies obesity may also impede lung function."[13]

* Infertility problems in men and men.[14]

* Feet/ankles problems: According to Stuart D. Miller, M.D.: "It is important for the public to know that obesity isn't just an aesthetic issue, but a contributing cause of musculoskeletal health problems, specifically with the feet and ankles."[15]

* Lower levels of balance recovery and increased risk of falls: In her thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, entitled A modeling investigation of obesity and balance recovery, Sara Louise Matrangola writes in the abstract: "Obesity is associated with an increased risk of falls and subsequent injury. Previous studies have shown weight loss and strength training to be beneficial to balance, but knowing which is more beneficial will allow researchers to design interventions to maximize the benefits in terms of balance and reducing risk of falls."[16]

* Increased morbidity risk.[17]

## Obesity and its negative impact on intelligence[edit]

See also: Obesity and its negative impact on intelligence

On October 15, 2006, The Telegraph reported in an article entitled The greater your weight, the lower your IQ, say scientists:

“  |  It is bad for your blood pressure, knocks years off your life and is a strain on your heart. Now scientists have discovered that gaining weight lowers your intelligence.

The findings follow last week's government figures that show Britain as the "fat man" of Europe, with nearly a quarter of adults and more than 14 per cent of children under 16 classified as obese.

The new five-year study of more than 2,200 adults claims to have found a link between obesity and the decline in a person's cognitive function. The research, conducted by French scientists, which is published in this month's Neurology journal, involved men and women aged between 32 and 62 taking four mental ability tests that were then repeated five years later.

The researchers found that people with a Body Mass Index – a measure of body fat – of 20 or less could recall 56 per cent of words in a vocabulary test, while those who were obese, with a BMI of 30 or higher, could remember only 44 per cent.[18]

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## Obesity and increases in cancer risk[edit]

The South China Morning Post reported that according the British medical journal Lancet:

“  |  Each five kg/m {+2} increase in BMI was clearly linked with higher risk of cancers of the uterus (62 per cent increase), gallbladder (31 per cent), kidney (25 per cent), cervix (10 per cent), thyroid (9 per cent), and leukemia (9 per cent)," said the statement. Higher BMI also increased the risk of cancer of the liver (19 per cent), colon (10 per cent), ovaries (9 per cent) and breast (5 per cent), although the effect on these types was influenced by other factors."[19] |  ”

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According to Cancer Risk UK, "More than one in three people in the UK will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime".[20]

## Increased morbidity risk[edit]

On September 2, 2014, the New York Times wrote concerning Britain:

“  |  In high-income countries, excess weight is the third-leading risk factor in death. The importance of addressing this was brought home again last month with the publication of a new study and editorial, also in The Lancet. The work looked at 22 different cancers in Britain and their association with body mass index (B.M.I.), a simple but more effective measure of obesity than weight alone. The conclusions of the study, which involved a whopping 5.24 million people, were both notable and not entirely unexpected: When adjusted for factors like age and smoking, a higher B.M.I. was associated with a large increase in risk of cancers of the uterus, kidney, gallbladder, and liver, and smaller risk increases for at least six other types of cancer.[21] |  ”

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## See also[edit]

* Atheism and obesity
* Homosexuality and obesity
* Atheism and health
* Lesbianism and obesity

## External links[edit]

### Weight loss resources and tips[edit]

* Obesity and an F grade in fat - A need for faith in God
* Weight-loss goals: 10 tips for success by Mayo Clinic
* Zone Diet
* Mediterranean diet by Mayo Clinic
* Glycemic index diet: Losing weight with blood sugar control by Mayo Clinic
* Lose weight fast: How to do it safely by WebMD
* Weight loss: Cardio Exercise vs. Weight Training - Vanderbilt University, Health Psychology Home Page

Documentary on weight loss:

* Fat, sick and nearly dead

### Supplements[edit]

Irvingia gabonensis:

* IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the West African plant Irvingia gabonensis, significantly reduces body weight and improves metabolic parameters in overweight humans in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled investigation \- Lipids Health Dis. 2009 Mar 2;8:7,Ngondi JL, Etoundi BC, Nyangono CB, Mbofung CM, Oben JE.
* The effect of Irvingia gabonensis seeds on body weight and blood lipids of obese subjects in Cameroon \- Lipids Health Dis. 2005; 4: 12, Judith L Ngondi, Julius E Oben, Samuel R Minka
* IRVINGIA GABONENSIS - WebMD

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Causes of obesity
2. ↑
* What is obesity?
* What is the ideal BMI for longevity?
* Mayo Clinic - BMI calculator
3. ↑ http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/obesity/
4. ↑ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obesity?show=0&t=1293887890
5. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314/DSECTION=causes
6. ↑
* Causes of obesity \- Mayo Clinic
* How much exercise is needed to get fit and lose weight
* Genes Are Not Destiny \- Harvard University School of Public health
* The 6 Weight-Loss Tips That Science Actually Knows Work \- Forbes, April 9, 2013
* Long-term weight loss maintenance, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005 July; 82(1 Suppl):222S-225S.
* Strength Training For Weight Loss Success by Deborah L. Mullen, CSCS
7. ↑
* [1]
* [2]
* [3]
* [4]
8. ↑ National Cancer Institute - Obesity and Cancer risk
9. ↑
* Obesity Linked to Changes In Cognitive Patterns, Psychiatric News, Joan Arehart-Treichel, Clinical and Research News, September 15, 2006
* As Waistlines Widen, Brains Shrink: The obese and overweight have less neurological tissue, study finds, U.S News & World Report August 25, 2009
* Western diet consumption and cognitive impairment: links to hippocampal dysfunction and obesity, Physiol Behav. 2011 Apr 18;103(1):59-68. Epub 2010 Dec 16.
* Obesity Harms Women's Memory and Brain Function, Study Finds, Science Daily, July 15, 2010
* Mental health, family function and obesity in African-American women, J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 April; 97(4): 478–482.
10. ↑
* Obesity Linked to Changes In Cognitive Patterns, Psychiatric News, Joan Arehart-Treichel, Clinical and Research News, September 15, 2006
* As Waistlines Widen, Brains Shrink: The obese and overweight have less neurological tissue, study finds, U.S News & World Report August 25, 2009
* Western diet consumption and cognitive impairment: links to hippocampal dysfunction and obesity, Physiol Behav. 2011 Apr 18;103(1):59-68. Epub 2010 Dec 16.
* Obesity Harms Women's Memory and Brain Function, Study Finds, Science Daily, July 15, 2010
* Mental health, family function and obesity in African-American women, J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 April; 97(4): 478–482.
11. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314/DSECTION=symptoms
12. ↑
* Sleep inspires insight - Nature
* Sleep for Success: Creativity and the Neuroscience of Slumber
13. ↑ Harvard University - School of Public Health, Health risks of obesity
14. ↑ How obesity is linked to infertility
15. ↑ Survey Suggests Obesity May Cause Foot Problems
16. ↑ Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, entitled A modeling investigation of obesity and balance recoveryby Sara Louise Matrangola
17. ↑ Will China Defeat Obesity? By MARK BITTMANSEPT. 2, 2014
18. ↑ The greater your weight, the lower your IQ, say scientists, By Nina Goswami, The Telegraph, 12:01AM BST 15 Oct 2006
19. ↑ Obesity increases risk of having 10 common cancers, study shows, South China Morning Post, Thursday, 14 August, 2014, 9:42pm
20. ↑ Cancer Risk UK - Lifetime risk of cancer
21. ↑ Will China Defeat Obesity? By MARK BITTMANSEPT. 2, 2014