Obesity is on the rise in America and causes other serious health complications. We know for a fact that obesity increases our chances of getting diabetes, heart disease, and complications with any other illness that may occur. Here are some newly discovered side-effects of obesity that we were not aware of:
- A new study found that 10% of all gallbladder, kidney, liver, and colon cancers were the results of excess weight. The study found that 41% of uterine cancers were tied to obesity. They also found that 1-point population-wide increase in BMI would result in additional 3,790 additional cancers each year. The National Cancer Institute estimates that obesity contributes to 34,000 new cases of cancer in men and 50,000 in women each year. If adults reduce their BMI by 1 percent (around 2.2 pounds) then about 100,000 cases of cancer could be avoided.
- Researchers at Johns Hopkins find that with a higher BMI index, people had greater chances of having episodic migraines. People who are obese were also 81% more likely to experience at least 14 migraine headaches each month. Obese women who were 50 years or older suffered the most from headaches and migraines.
- Overweight women have a harder time getting pregnant. In an Indian study, researchers study a group of a 300 morbidly obese women and found that over 90% of them developed a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Disease which is associated with infertility. The study was done over a three-year period. The relationship of obesity and infertility is still being investigated to get a clearer idea of the relationship between the two factors.
- If you’re a women with a BMI of 35 or higher the American Medical Association found that you’re chances of have a pre-term baby increases. This can cause major complications for the baby if they are not fully developed. The study researchers suggest that having too much fat in the body may inflame and weaken the uterine and cervical membranes which may lead to pre-term birth. Premature birth is the leading cause of infant death and long-term disabilities.
- According to the American Sleep Foundation, about 80% of older,obese, Americans report having problems with sleep. Poor sleep contributes to a host of diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. According to Dr. Donald Hensruad at the Mayo Clinic, he states that one of the most immediate health consequence for people who are obese is that they develop sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea is a condition in which a person gasps or stops breathing momentarily while asleep. Sleep apnea can be cause by increase of fat around the neck area. The fat then presses down and closes off the soft tissues of the airways while a person is laying down.
- A study conducted by Yale found that weight is number one reason that people are bullied at any age and those who are bullied have lower self-esteem, higher levels of depression, and increased risk of suicide.
- People who are obese have more difficult time finding doctors. A study found that 67% of overweight men and women report being shamed or bullied at the doctor’s office and that 50 percent of doctors found that the fat patients were awkward,ugly, weak-willed and unlikely to comply with treatment. Everyone deserves the same adequate health care but with being bullied or shamed in the doctor’s office, it makes it that much more difficult for obese and overweight people to find a doctor and be in a comfortable setting.
- George Washington University School of Public Health found a strong correlation between greater obesity and shrinking wages. The researchers discovered that obese people wages in 2004 were $8,666 less for females and $4,772 lower for males when compared to people with a healthy body weight. In 2008, they found that the wages were $5,826 less for obese females. However in a similar study done by the University of Florida, the researchers there found that women who weighed 25 pounds less than the group average earned $15,572 more a year than women of normal weight and women who were 25 pounds about the average weight. These other women earned an average of 13,847 less.
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