Obesity Symptoms and Related Health Risks

It’s one thing to be carrying a few extra pounds around your midsection or on your hips, and in truth that can apply to the majority of adults who’ve experienced the slowed metabolism that occurs in the late 20s / early 30s for most people. It’s another to be obese. Being slightly overweight isn’t ideal for your health in the same way it’s not ideal for your appearance, but it doesn’t pose any major health risks. However if your BMI (body mass index) is over 30 then you’re considered obese. Along with obesity symptoms come major health risks.

The extent of these risks isn’t to be underestimated, and for this reason the signs and symptoms of obesity should prompt a person to take significant measures to get their body weight under control. Symptoms of obesity in adults should have greater urgency attached to them, as adults are more prone to heart failure and other conditions related to being obese.

We can start here by saying that when asking what are the symptoms of obesity, it’s not as simple as answering that it means you are carrying very excessive amounts of body fat.

Signs and Symptoms of Obesity

It goes without saying that the most prominent of all obesity symptoms is a body that is so misshapen by excess fat content in both the torso, backside, and extremities that it does not have any visible semblance of a normal human body. This will of course be paired with the individual typically being in excess of 350lbs for men, or 225lbs for women. As mentioned, calculating BMI is the best means for identifying obesity and as such BMI calculation results are clinical obesity symptoms in their own right.

A BMI calculation of 30 to 34.9 indicates being Class I obese. A BMI calculation of 35 to 39.9 indicates being Class II obese. A calculation of 40 or higher means extreme obesity (Class III). Other obesity symptoms would be the inability to see your feet when looking down from a standing upright position, and being unable to complete basic daily tasks without tiring out due to excessive body weight.

While no one’s going to suggest it’s easy to do it, obesity symptoms can reliably be eliminated by eating smarter and engaging in calorie-burning cardiovascular exercise to get body weight down to a reasonable number.

It’s also a fact that no human is born obese, although it is true that they can be born with genetic predispositions for excessive weight gain. With that said, however, obesity symptoms are always going to be preceded by individual causes of obesity.

Obesity Causes

Obesity can come from genetic, behavioural, and hormonal causes. Behavioural causes are most common, and consuming excess calories while remaining physically inactive is at the forefront of them. Obesity can also be caused by medical conditions, and two in particular are Prader-Willi Syndrome and Cushing’s Syndrome.

Obesity does ‘run’ in families too, and not just because of genetics. Poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle choices tend to be shared among generations of family members. Secondary contributing factors can also play a role in a person becoming obese, and they include:

  • Long-term medication use, and most notably with antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications, antipsychotic medications, steroids and beta blockers
  • Social and economic issues that limit the individuals ability to afford eating well
  • Weight gain trends following pregnancy
  • Chronic lack of sleep
  • Overcoming substance abuse addictions

Among others.

Obesity Health Risks

As mentioned, a less-than-desirable appearance should be the last of anyone’s concerns when it comes to obesity symptoms. Signs and symptoms of obesity are often precursors for the onset of serious health problems, and heart disease, stroke, and different cancers are the most serious and life-threatening of them. However, they’re just a handful of the ones that should make obesity symptoms more of a wake-up call for adults who are extremely overweight.

Other serious health problems that can stem from obesity include:

  • Elevated HDL and LDL triglyceride cholesterol levels
  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Breathing disorders like sleep apnea and others
  • Gall bladder disease
  • Gynecological disorders
  • Erectile dysfunction and other sexual health maladies
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Gout

Obesity Prevention

It’s always possible to put a stop to weight gain, even if it’s reached the critical stages of obesity. By following a healthy-eating plan that puts a priority on reduced-calorie intake while still meeting nutritional requirement and pairing that with a strictly-adhered to exercise regimen designed to burn calories to maximum extent, you can and will lose weight.

Your physician can start you down the right path to shedding weight and getting your BMI under 30. Medications like Xenical (Orlistat), Alli, or Saxenda (Liraglutide) may be prescribed for use with a low-calorie diet to enhance weight loss and make it more likely that you keep the weight off long term.

Taking change of your obesity symptoms and getting your weight down may not be the most difficult part of the challenge, however, as many formerly-obese people find it difficult to keep the weight from returning. The best suggestion is of course to avoid high-calorie and trans / saturated fat-heavy foods entirely. However, if you experience ongoing cravings for fatty foods it is best to set limitations for how often you consume this type of food. For example, allow yourself to have trans / saturated fat-heavy foods only once a month or so before you can eliminate them from your diet all together.