When the energy taken with food is more than the energy expended, this energy is stored as fat in the body. When this happens continuously in the long term, the amount of fat in the body increases excessively. Excessive increase in fat mass compared to the height of the person is called obesity. Obesity can also be defined as having a body mass index (BMI) above 30. Body mass index is the value obtained by dividing a person’s body weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. Obesity in the World Health Organizationdefined as excessive fat accumulation in the body to the extent that it impairs health. In this context, obesity can lead to physical and mental health problems, according to many studies. But obesity is not an irreversible disease. There are treatments for obesity and health problems caused by obesity.
Obesity Harms
Obesity is an abnormal weight gain in the body. This weight gain can lead to disruption or disruption of many systems in the body. In this respect, obesity has many harms to people. The first of these damages is the diseases that are characterized by the disruption of the functioning of the systems working in the body. For example , obesity ; It can increase the risk of diseases such as insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure , heart diseases and stroke. On the other hand, it can cause breathing problems by affecting the respiratory system. In addition, increased body weight can cause leg pain, difficulty in movement and cause leg pain. This situation can also invite diseases in the legs in the long run.
On the other hand, studies have shown that excessively increased fat mass also affects hormones in terms of their structure. The female and male reproductive systems are most affected by the effects of hormones. For example, obesity in men, which usually occurs due to fat around the abdomen, can affect testosterone production. In women, the increased fat ratio in the hips and hips can affect the female reproductive system. In addition, the fact that pregnant women are overweight at the beginning of pregnancy may have different risks compared to a normal weight person and may affect the baby as well.
Obesity has not only physical but also psychological damages. These harms can initially lead to increased weight-related image anxiety, anxiety and depression. Obesity-induced depression can cause psychological-based diseases such as binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa.
Physical Health Problems Caused by Obesity
Studies have shown that obesity causes many chronic diseases. A few of these physical health problems are:
- Insulin resistance: The first of the physical health problems that develop due to obesity is insulin resistance. Insulin hormone is responsible for taking and using the increased glucose in the blood after food consumption and regulating the amount of sugar in the blood. In the case of insulin resistance, obesity causes a deterioration in insulin receptors, causing the insulin hormone to fail to do its job at balancing blood sugar. Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes in the advanced stage.
- Heart diseases and high blood pressure: Another health problem is high blood pressure. Blood sugar, which cannot be balanced by free fatty acids and insulin in the blood, and the decrease in the relaxation of the vessels due to obesity cause high blood pressure. This brings with it the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
- Digestive system diseases: It can cause obesity, fatty liver , gall bladder and kidney diseases, which are diseases of the digestive system. The liver takes part in the mechanism of converting excess energy into fat in the body. Since it turns into excess fat here, some of it is stored in the liver. This situation, which is called fatty liver, leads to the disruption of the functions of the liver, which is the beginning of liver and bile problems. On the other hand, kidneys, which act as filters in the body and are responsible for excretion of useless substances, can be damaged due to metabolic syndrome caused by obesity.
- Hormonal effects: There are studies showing that obesity and male-female reproductive system are related. It has been determined that the majority of women with polycystic ovary syndrome, menstrual irregularities and abnormal changes in hormones are obese. Diseases that are thought to be related to obesity in men are decreased male hormone, erectile dysfunction, infertility and prostate.
- Sleep apnea: There are studies showing that sleep apnea is associated with obesity. It can cause situations such as not being able to breathe easily caused by excess weight, sleep interrupted at night, and a feeling of tiredness that continues during the day.
- Cancer : There are studies showing that cancer is associated with obesity.
When obesity is treated, the effects of most of these health problems decrease or go away completely. Therefore, for the treatment of obesity and physical health problems caused by obesity, specialist doctors should be consulted and appropriate treatment should be taken.
Mental Health Problems Caused by Obesity
Obesity is a very common disease in society and it causes many physical diseases as well as a few mental health problems. These can manifest as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders.
- Depression: Depression is one of the mental problems frequently encountered in obese people. People who are obese often have the psychology of losing control over their body, low self-esteem, and guilt. This can cause a feeling of loneliness in the social environment, usually because of its appearance. Regret for overeating and returning to overeating in order to suppress the psychological distress caused by it is a vicious cycle. Therefore, depression and obesity can be both a cause and a consequence of each other. In this respect, obesity and depression treatments should be taken together.
- Anxiety Disorder: Anxiety disorder is another mental health problem caused by obesity. Body image disorder caused by obesity can cause a decrease in self-esteem. Self-esteem is one of the main factors that affect a person’s attitudes and behaviors in society. Decreased self-esteem may cause obesity-related anxiety disorder, especially in social relationships.
- Eating disorders: One of the health problems caused by obesity is eating disorders. Eating disorders; It can be examined under several titles as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating and night eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa usually occurs in adolescent girls due to excessive visual anxiety. Usually, a young girl who is obese at the beginning wants to lose weight, but even if she reaches her ideal size, it is not enough for her and she continues to eat very little and do extreme sports to lose weight. This situation can reach dangerous dimensions ranging from weakening of the person to affecting the vital activities in his body. In bulimia nervosa, it is not to give up the excessive eating habits that cause obesity, but at the same time, to vomit those who are eaten with the demand for thinness. The person eats what they want to eat, but aims not to take calories by removing what they eat before the digestion stage. Although this disease is psychologically based, it also brings many physiological problems. Binge eating disorder is a condition that occurs when a person overeats and then feels guilty about it. Nocturnal eating disorder is characterized by the person waking up and eating several times during the night and repeating this at least 2-3 times a week.
Conditions such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders are psychologically based, and treatment should be sought as soon as possible to solve both obesity and psychological problems.
Obesity is a very common condition recently. Physical and mental health problems caused by obesity are also frequently encountered problems. In Medical Park Hospitals, you can apply to our clinics that deal with obesity and the treatment of health problems caused by obesity, and get information and appointments.
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