5 Ways Obesity Affects Your Long-Term Health and Well-Being

Colorado boasts one of the lowest obesity rates in the country. Though our state no longer claims the top spot, just over 25% of Coloradans are obese compared to the countrywide obesity rate of over 40%. 

Although Colorado has a comparatively low obesity rate, obesity is generally on the rise. On multiple levels, obesity can impact your wellbeing. Beyond its increase to your risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, it can have far-reaching effects on your emotional well-being, mobility, independence, and lifespan. But you don’t have to accept these consequences as your fate. 

In Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Physicians Weight Loss Center Highlands Ranch provides individualized weight-loss programs, medications, and products to empower you to reduce body fat and become a healthier version of yourself. 

If you’re considering taking the leap with professional weight management services, our team can inform you of the many ways in which obesity affects your health. Consider these five specific possible consequences of long-term obesity. 

1. Wear and tear on your joints

The higher your body fat percentage, the more stress your musculoskeletal system withstands. This is bad news for your joints, which can develop osteoarthritis as a result of the extra wear and tear. 

Osteoarthritis comes with many of its own difficulties including joint stiffness, reduced mobility, and painful swelling. With obesity, these symptoms are especially prominent in weight-bearing joints like your knees and hips. In fact, obese patients account for a third of all joint replacement recipients. Weight loss allows you to reduce the stress on your joints, maintain your mobility, and avoid joint replacement surgery in the future. 

2. Your heart works overtime

Obesity increases your risk of developing many types of noncongenital cardiovascular diseases. This is due in part to the fact that your heart must work extra hard to pump blood through a larger body. An increased body mass index (BMI) is associated with multiple heart disease risk factors including:

• High blood pressure 
• High cholesterol
• High triglycerides
• Chronic inflammation
• High blood sugar
• Atherosclerosis

You don’t have to lose a large percentage of body fat just to reduce these risks either: Just a 5-10% reduction of body weight can lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides to safer levels if they’re elevated. 

3. Obesity and your mental health 

Many people realize there are physical effects of obesity on your health but fail to recognize the potential impact on your mental and emotional well-being. While the reason for the correlation has yet to be confirmed, there are clear links between major depressive disorder and obesity. 

Additionally, obesity may increase your risk of cognitive decline. In fact, higher body weight increases your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia later in life. Being underweight may also increase your risk, so you should aim for a healthy weight range for someone of your age and stature. 

4. Lower fertility

Obesity could be a barrier in any current or future attempts to reproduce. Infertility rates are higher than the average among obese men and women alike. Obesity can also increase your risk of miscarriage, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and other pregnancy complications. 

5. Heightened blood sugar and its risks

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, a condition that comes from having high blood sugar. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to a host of health complications because of the way high blood sugar damages your organs. These include:

• Vision decline
• Neuropathy
• Heart disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetic ulcers
• Gum disease
• Hearing loss
• Limb amputation

Prevent or manage diabetes by engaging in a personalized nutrition and lifestyle program aimed at lowering your blood sugar. If you already have diabetes, you may need to take insulin or other medications to manage the condition too. 

Transform your health with our help

Cumulatively, the risks that come with obesity can both decrease your quality of life and increase your risk of premature death from heart attack, stroke, and other health events. Call Physicians Weight Loss Center Highlands Ranch or schedule a consultation online for personalized and compassionate weight loss care today.