5
Obesity-related Health Conditions
What is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition requiring
regular monitoring of an individual’s blood
sugar level and treatment. In type 2 diabetes,
people cannot properly make or use insulin
which causes high blood sugar levels. Left
untreated, diabetes can cause an added risk of
heart disease and loss of limbs.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure (also called hypertension)
refers to the pressure that blood applies to the
inner walls of your arteries. Having excess
weight is a risk factor for high blood pressure.
When you suffer from obesity, your heart has to
work harder to pump blood through your body.
That extra effort puts strain on your arteries.
Your arteries, in turn, resist this flow of blood,
causing your blood pressure to rise.
What is Heart Disease?
You are at an increased risk of heart disease
when you have the combination of excess
weight and high blood pressure. Your blood
carries oxygen and nutrients that your body
needs. Heart disease is a disorder of the blood
vessels of the heart that can lead to a heart
attack. A heart attack happens when an artery
becomes blocked, preventing oxygen and
nutrients from getting to the heart.
When a person has excess weight, their volume
of circulating blood goes up. This means the
heart has to pump more blood with each
heartbeat, which puts strain on the heart
throughout time, increasing your risk for a
heart attack and congestive heart failure.
Not only can weight impact your physical
health, it can also emotionally impact your life.
When we think about weight, we most likely
focus on the physical aspects. We look at the
number on a scale or the size listed on our
clothes. However, weight is more than that.
Weight has emotional aspects. Some studies
have shown that people affected by obesity
have a 20 percent greater chance of also
suffering from depression. People with
depression are more likely to overeat and less
likely to exercise. Emotional eating can greatly
impact your weight and can be difficult to
overcome.
Finding ways to cope with depression are
important when it comes to improving your
weight and making healthy lifestyle changes.
If you think you might be suffering from
depression, please see your healthcare
provider.
Emotional Issues
and Weight
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