Impact of Obesity on Your Body and Health

Obesity can cause serious damage to the body, and severely obese patients are likely to suffer from other diseases. Together with obesity, these diseases can lower the quality of health and life. In some cases, these conditions may lead to disability or death. Dr. Wiljon Beltre provides bariatric surgery to patients in Orlando, Tampa, Maitland, Central Florida, and surrounding communities to address obesity.

Diabetes

Obesity is a major cause of type 2 diabetes. Risk of having this disease increases 10-fold in obese people. Type 2 diabetes doubles the risk of death, and may lead to other diseases such as heart disease, stroke, amputations, blindness, kidney disease, hypertension, circulatory and nerve defects, poor healing infections, and impotence.

Heart Disease

About 600,000 people in the US die every year due to heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, obesity is a key risk factor for heart disease. Obesity increases the risk of heart failure, and severe obesity is associated with arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. This can triple the risk of cardiac arrest.

Respiratory Disorders

Lung capacity of obese people is reduced, and they are more prone to respiratory infections. Asthma and other respiratory disorders are more likely to occur in these people. Some studies have shown that asthma is three to four times more prevalent among obese people.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

About 50 to 60 percent of the people affected by obesity suffer from OSA, which is a serious breathing disorder. OSA occurs when excess fat tissue in the throat, neck and tongue blocks air passages during sleep. Apnea episodes in sleep reduce the amount of oxygen in a person’s blood, leading to high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension and heart failure.

Cancer

Obesity is known to cause up to 90,000 deaths due to cancer every year in the US. An increase in BMI is related to an increase in the risk of cancer and death from cancer. Endometrial cancer,

Cervical cancer, Ovarian cancer, Postmenopausal breast cancer, Colorectal cancer, Esophageal cancer, Pancreatic cancer, and leukemia are some of the cancers that may be related to obesity. According to a study, the death rate due to cancer for people with severe obesity is 52 percent higher for men and 62 percent higher for women. 


Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke

The entire circulatory system comes under strain due to obesity. The risk for stroke increases due to this strain. Obesity can also lead to various other risk factors for stroke. These may include heart disease, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, lipid abnormalities, type 2 diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

GERD can cause stomach acid and intestinal secretions to seep into the esophagus. This can result in indigestion, heartburn, throwing up food, coughing at night, belching and hoarseness. About 10 to 20 percent of the population experiences GERD symptoms periodically. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of GERD, Obesity has been associated with higher risk of GERD, erosive esophagitis and rarely, esophageal cancer.

Experienced bariatric surgeon Dr. Beltre receives patients from Orlando, Tampa, Maitland, Central Florida, and nearby areas for weight loss procedures.

Important Note: If the weight is regained, diabetes and other conditions could return.

To find out more about the procedures & treatments performed by Orlando Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Wiljon Beltre, at The Center for Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Call 321-499-6505 or Click Here to Schedule a Consultation.

Please note: If the weight is regained, conditions could return.