Identifying Other Complications
Through the use of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference measurements, physicians are able to assess the degree to which an individual is overweight or obese and identify potential complications of obesity. While the most obvious impacts of obesity are appearance (increased body size), and, if sleep apnea has developed, breathing/snoring changes, overweight and obese people are at increased risk for many serious medical problems that often require specialized and/or long-term care.
Complications of Obesity/Related
Diseases
Overweight and obese people are at an increased risk for developing
the following conditions (in no particular order)13.
Please note that the
glossary in section VI provides definitions for these terms.
- Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Hypertension
- hypothyroidism
- Dyslipidemia
- Hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance
- Congestive heart failure
- Angina pectoris
- Cholecystitis
- Cholelithiasis
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Fatty liver disease
- Sleep apnea and other respiratory problems
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Fertility complications
- Pregnancy complications
- Psychological disorders
- Uric acid nephrolithiasis (kidney stones)
- Stress urinary incontinence
- Cancer of the kidney, endometrium, breast, colon and rectum, esophagus, prostate and gall bladder
- Death
