What are the consequences of excessive body weight choose 3 consequences and briefly explain why it is harmful?

1NHLBI. 2013. Managing Overweight and Obesity in Adults: Systematic Evidence Review from the Obesity Expert Panel. [PDF-5.89MB]

2Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. [PDF-1.25MB]

3Bhaskaran K, Douglas I, Forbes H, dos-Santos-Silva I, Leon DA, Smeeth L. Body-mass index and risk of 22 specific cancers: a population-based cohort study of 5•24 million UK adults. Lancet. 2014 Aug 30;384(9945):755-65.

4Kasen, Stephanie, et al. “Obesity and psychopathology in women: a three decade prospective study.” International Journal of Obesity 32.3 (2008): 558-566.

5Luppino, Floriana S., et al. “Overweight, obesity, and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. “Archives of General Psychiatry 67.3 (2010): 220-229.

6Roberts, Robert E., et al. “Prospective association between obesity and depression: evidence from the Alameda County Study.” International Journal of Obesity 27.4 (2003): 514-521.

Obesity is a complex disease that occurs when an individual’s weight is higher than what is considered healthy for his or her height. Obesity affects children as well as adults. Many factors can contribute to excess weight gain including eating patterns, physical activity levels, and sleep routines. Social determinants of health, genetics, and taking certain medications also play a role.

Food, Activity, and Sleep

Eating and physical activity patterns, insufficient sleep and several other factors influence excess weight gain.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

The conditions in which we live, learn, work, and play are called social determinants of health (SDOH). It can be difficult to make healthy food choices and get enough physical activity if these conditions do not support health. Differences in SDOH affect chronic disease outcomes and risks, including obesity, among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups as well as in different geographies and among people with different physical abilities.

Places such as childcare centers, schools, or communities affect eating patterns and activity through the foods and drinks they offer and the physical activity opportunities they provide. Other community factors that influence obesity include the affordability of healthy food options, peer and social supports, marketing and promotion, and policies that determine community design.

Genetics

Genetic changes in human populations occur too slowly to be responsible for the obesity epidemic. Yet variants in several genes may contribute to obesity by increasing hunger and food intake. Rarely, a specific variant of a single gene (monogenic obesity) causes a clear pattern of inherited obesity within a family.[1], [2]

Illnesses and Medications

Some illnesses, such as Cushing’s disease, may lead to obesity or weight gain. Drugs such as steroids and some antidepressants may also cause weight gain. Research continues on the role of other factors such as chemical exposures and the role of the microbiome.

What Can Be Done?

Eating Patterns

Physical Activity

Sleep

• Newborns need 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day. That amount decreases with age; teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day, and adults need 7 or more hours of sleep per day. See How Much Sleep Do I Need?

Social Determinants of Health

• State early care and education systems can promote standards that address nutrition, infant feeding, physical activity, and screen time. See Early Care and Education.
• Communities, programs, initiatives, and public health practitioners can work to together to remove barriers to health and achieve health See Health Equity Resources.

In our looks-obsessed society, many people think that being overweight is an appearance issue. But being overweight can be a medical concern because it can seriously affect a person's health.

Doctors use the medical terms "overweight" or "obese" to tell if someone has a greater chance of developing weight-related health problems.

Why Do People Become Overweight?

When people eat more calories than they use, their bodies store the extra calories as fat. A couple pounds of extra body fat usually doesn’t cause problems for most people. But when people keep up a pattern of eating more calories than they burn, more and more fat builds up in their bodies.

Weight problems tends to run in families. Some people have a genetic tendency to gain weight more easily than others. Although genes strongly influence body type and size, the environment also plays a role.

People today are gaining weight because of unhealthy food choices (like fast food) and family habits (like eating in front of the TV instead of around a table). High-calorie, low-nutrient snacks (like chips, cookies, and ice cream) and beverages (like soda, juice, and sports drinks), bigger portions of food, and less-active lifestyles are all contributing to the obesity epidemic. And people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight.

Sometimes people turn to food for emotional reasons, such as when they feel upset, anxious, sad, stressed out, or even bored. When this happens, they often eat more than they need.

Defining Overweight

Figuring out if a teen is overweight is a little more complicated than it is for adults. That's because teens are still growing and developing.

Doctors and other health care professionals use a measurement called body mass index (BMI) to tell if someone is overweight.

The doctor calculates BMI using a person's height and weight, and then plots that number on a chart to see what weight category they are in. There are different charts for girls or guys. BMI estimates how much body fat the person has. People with high BMI are more likely to have weight-related health problems.

Doctors use four categories to describe a person's weight:

• Underweight: A person weighs less than the healthy range for their age, gender, and height.
• Healthy weight: A person's weight is in the healthy range for their age, gender, and height.
• Overweight: A person weighs more than the healthy range for their age, gender, and height.
• Obese: A person weighs much more than the healthy range for their age, gender, and height.

Because muscle weighs more than fat, a muscular person can have a high BMI, but not too much body fat. Likewise, it's possible for someone to have a low or ideal BMI but still have too much body fat.

You may get a BMI report from school, but the best way to understand BMI is to talk to your doctor.

Health Problems of Being Overweight

Weight-related health problems include:

Asthma. Obesity increases the chance of having asthma. Breathing problems related to weight can make it harder to keep up with friends, play sports, or just walk from class to class.

Sleep apnea. This condition (where a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep) is a serious problem for many overweight kids and adults. Sleep apnea can leave people feeling tired and having trouble paying attention and learning. It also may lead to heart problems.

High blood pressure. When blood pressure is high, the heart has to work harder. If the problem continues for a long time, high blood pressure can damage the heart and arteries.

High cholesterol. Abnormal blood lipid levels, including high cholesterol, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels, increase the chances of having a heart attack or stroke when a person gets older.

Gallstones. A buildup of bile that hardens in the gallbladder forms gallstones. These can be painful and require surgery.

Fatty liver. If fat builds up in the liver, it can cause inflammation, scarring, and permanent liver damage.

Joint and muscle pain. Wear and tear on the joints from carrying extra weight can cause pain and may lead to arthritis in adulthood.

Slipped capital femoral epiphyses (SCFE). SCFE is a painful hip problem that requires immediate attention and surgery to prevent further damage to the joint.

Pseudotumor cerebri. This is a rare cause of severe headaches in obese teens and adults. There is no tumor, but pressure builds in the brain. Besides headaches, symptoms may include vomiting, double vision, and other vision problems.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Although it's normal for girls to have some testosterone (the male hormone), girls with PCOS have higher testosterone levels in the blood. This leads to irregular periods, too much hair growth, and bad acne.

Insulin resistance and diabetes. Insulin is a hormone that lowers the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood. When there is too much body fat, insulin doesn’t work as well getting glucose, the body's main source of energy, into cells. The body then needs more insulin to keep a normal blood sugar level. For some overweight teens, insulin resistance can progress to prediabetes and diabetes (high blood sugar).

Depression. People with weight problems are more likely to be depressed and have lower self-esteem.

Luckily, it's never too late to make changes that can help control weight gain and the health problems it causes. Those changes don't have to be big. For a start, make a plan to cut back on sugary beverages, control portions, and get more exercise, even if it's just 5–10 minutes a day. Build your way up to big changes by making a series of small ones. And don't be afraid to ask for help!