Social and economic factors are linked to obesity. Avoiding obesity is difficult if you don't have safe areas to walk or exercise. Similarly, you may not have been taught healthy ways of cooking, or you may not have access to healthier foods. In addition, the people you spend time with may influence your weight — you're more likely to develop obesity if you have friends or relatives with obesity.
Obesity can occur at any age, even in young children. But as you age, hormonal changes and a less active lifestyle increase your risk of obesity. In addition, the amount of muscle in your body tends to decrease with age.
Generally, lower muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie needs and can make it harder to keep off excess weight. If you don't consciously control what you eat and become more physically active as you age, you'll likely gain weight.
Even if you have one or more of these risk factors, it doesn't mean that you're destined to develop obesity. You can counteract most risk factors through diet, physical activity and exercise, and behavior changes. People with obesity are more likely to develop a number of potentially serious health problems, including:.
Obesity can diminish the overall quality of life. You may not be able to do physical activities that you used to enjoy. You may avoid public places. People with obesity may even encounter discrimination. Obesity care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. In addition, obesity increases the risk of developing gallstones. This is when bile builds up and hardens in the gallbladder. This may require surgery. Fat can also build up around the liver and lead to liver damage, scar tissues, and even liver failure.
In people with obesity, the heart needs to work harder to pump blood around the body. This leads to high blood pressure, or hypertension. High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke. Type 2 diabetes is linked to a range of other health issues, including heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, amputation, and blindness.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar on top of excess body fat can make the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart become hard and narrow. Hardened arteries, also called atherosclerosis, can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Obesity can make it more difficult for a woman to get pregnant. Obesity can cause deteriorating bone density and muscle mass. This is referred to as osteosarcopenic obesity. Osteosarcopenic obesity can lead to a higher risk of fractures, physical disability, insulin resistance, and poorer overall health outcomes.
Rashes can occur where the skin of body fat folds. A condition known as acanthosis nigricans can also occur. Behavioral weight-loss programs can provide this support, and they can help you set goals that are specific to your needs. Your weight-loss specialist usually reviews or modifies your goals every six months based on your progress and overall health. When you are choosing a behavioral weight-loss program, you may want to consider whether the program should:. You should visit your health care provider periodically to monitor for possible complications , which if left untreated can be life-threatening.
Your doctor may do any of the following to monitor your condition. We are committed to advancing science and translating discoveries into clinical practice to promote the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders including overweight and obesity. Learn about the current and future NHLBI efforts to improve health through research and scientific discovery.
Learn about the following ways NHLBI continues to translate research and science into improved health for people who are overweight or obese.
Learn about some of the pioneering research contributions we have made over the years that have improved clinical care. In support of our mission , we are committed to advancing overweight and obesity research in part through the following ways.
To learn more about clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center or to talk to someone about a study that might fit your needs, call the Office of Patient Recruitment Learn more about participating in a clinical trial. View all trials from ClinicalTrials. Visit Children and Clinical Studies to hear experts, parents, and children talk about their experiences with clinical research.
After reading our overweight and obesity Health Topic, you may be interested in additional information found in the following resources.
The purpose of the virtual con Overweight and Obesity. Also known as Adiposity. Overweight and obesity are increasingly common conditions in the United States. They are caused by the increase in the size and the amount of fat cells in the body. Doctors measure body mass index BMI and waist circumference to screen and diagnose overweight and obesity. Obesity is a serious medical condition that can cause complications such as metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, cancers and sleep disorders.
Treatment depends on the cause and severity of your condition and whether you have complications. Treatments include lifestyle changes, such as heart-healthy eating and increased physical activity, and Food and Drug Administration FDA -approved weight-loss medicines. For some people, surgery may be a treatment option.
Explore this Health Topic to learn more about overweight and obesity, our role in research and clinical trials to improve health, and where to find more information. See also. Causes - Overweight and Obesity. Energy imbalances cause the body to store fat. Your body uses certain nutrients such as carbohydrates or sugars, proteins, and fats from the foods you eat to: make energy for immediate use to power routine daily body functions and physical activity. Sugars are stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.
Fats are stored mainly as triglyceride in fat tissue. Read more. White fat tissue can be found around the kidneys and under the skin in the buttocks, thighs, and abdomen. This fat type stores energy, makes hormone that control the way the body regulates urges to eat or stop eating, and makes inflammatory substances that can lead to complications. Brown fat tissue is located in the upper back area of human infants.
This fat type releases stored energy as heat energy when a baby is cold. It also can make inflammatory substances. Brown fat can be seen in children and adults. Beige fat tissue is seen in the neck, shoulders, back, chest and abdomen of adults and resembles brown fat tissue. This fat type, which uses carbohydrates and fats to produce heat, increases when children and adults are exposed to cold.
Read less. Medical conditions. Some genetic syndromes and endocrine disorders can cause overweight or obesity. Genetic syndromes Several genetic syndromes are associated with overweight and obesity, including the following. Endocrine disorders Because the endocrine system produces hormones that help maintain energy balances in the body, the following endocrine disorders or tumor affecting the endocrine system can cause overweight and obesity.
People with this condition have low levels of thyroid hormones. These low levels are associated with decreased metabolism and weight gain, even when food intake is reduced.
People with hypothyroidism also produce less body heat, have a lower body temperature, and do not efficiently use stored fat for energy. People with this condition have high levels of glucocorticoids , such as cortisol , in the blood. High cortisol levels make the body feel like it is under chronic stress. As a result, people have an increase in appetite and the body will store more fat. Some tumors, such as craneopharingioma, can cause severe obesity because the tumors develop near parts of the brain that control hunger.
Look for. Research for Your Health will explain how we are using current research and advancing research to understand, prevent and treat overweight and obesity. Risk Factors will discuss family history, lifestyle, or other environmental factors that increase your risk of developing overweight and obesity. Risk Factors - Overweight and Obesity. Unhealthy lifestyle habits. Lack of physical activity Lack of physical activity due to high amounts of TV, computer, videogame or other screen usage has been associated with a high body mass index.
Unhealthy eating behaviors Some unhealthy eating behaviors can increase your risk for overweight and obesity. Eating more calories than you use. The amount of calories you need will vary based on your sex, age, and physical activity level. Find out your daily calorie needs or goals with the Body Weight Planner. Eating too much saturated and trans fats Eating foods high in added sugars Visit Heart-healthy eating for more information about healthy eating patterns.
Not enough sleep Many studies have seen a high BMI in people who do not get enough sleep. High amounts of stress Acute stress and chronic stress affect the brain and trigger the production of hormones, such as cortisol, that control our energy balances and hunger urges. Unhealthy environments. Many environmental factors can increase your risk for overweight and obesity: social factors such as having a low socioeconomic status or an unhealthy social or unsafe environment in the neighborhood built environment factors such as easy access to unhealthy fast foods, limited access to recreational facilities or parks, and few safe or easy ways to walk in your neighborhood exposure to chemicals known as obesogens that can change hormones and increase fatty tissue in our bodies.
Family history and genetics. Race or ethnicity. Screening and Prevention - Overweight and Obesity. Screening for a high or increasing body mass index BMI. Adults : A healthy weight for adults is usually when your BMI is Healthy lifestyle changes to prevent overweight and obesity. Diagnosis will explain tests and procedures that your doctor may use to diagnose overweight and obesity.
Living With will discuss what your doctor may recommend to monitor and prevent your condition from getting worse and to screen you for complications.
Research for Your Health will explain how we are using current research and advancing research to prevent overweight and obesity. Signs, Symptoms, and Complications - Overweight and Obesity. High body mass index BMI. A high BMI is the most common sign of overweight and obesity. Unhealthy body fat distribution. Did you know that fatty tissue has different functions depending on its location in your body?
Obesity may cause the following complications: Metabolic Syndrome Type 2 diabetes High blood cholesterol and high triglyceride levels in the blood Diseases of the heart and blood vessels such as high blood pressure , atherosclerosis , heart attacks and stroke Respiratory problems such as obstructive sleep apnea , asthma, and obesity hypoventilation syndrome Back pain Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD Osteoarthritis, a chronic inflammation that damages the cartilage and bone in or around the affected joint.
It can cause mild or severe pain and usually affects weight-bearing joints in people who are obese. It is a major cause of knee replacement surgery in patients who are obese for a long time. Urinary incontinence , the unintentional leakage of urine. Chronic obesity can weaken pelvic muscles, making it harder to maintain bladder control. While it can happen to both sexes, it usually affects women as they age. Gallbladder disease Emotional health issues such as low self-esteem or depression.
This may commonly occur in children. Cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, colon, rectum, kidney, endometrium, ovaries, gallbladder, breast, or liver. Diagnosis will explain tests and procedures used to detect signs of overweight and obesity and help rule our other conditions that may be causing weight gain.
Treatment will discuss treatment-related complications or side effects. Living With will explain how doctors use waist circumference to monitor for disease severity and check for complications. Diagnosis - Overweight and Obesity. Confirming a high body mass index BMI. Even if your BMI is in the healthy range, it is possible to be diagnosed as obese if you have a large waist circumference that suggests increased amounts of fat in your abdomen that can lead to complications.
Medical history. A buildup of bile that hardens in the gallbladder forms gallstones. These can be painful and require surgery. Fatty liver. If fat builds up in the liver, it can cause inflammation , scarring, and permanent liver damage. Joint and muscle pain.
Wear and tear on the joints from carrying extra weight may lead to arthritis in adulthood. Slipped capital femoral epiphyses SCFE. SCFE is a painful hip problem that requires immediate attention and surgery to prevent further damage to the joint. Pseudotumor cerebri. This is a rare cause of severe headaches in obese teens and adults. There is no tumor, but pressure builds in the brain.
Besides headaches, symptoms may include vomiting, double vision, and other vision problems. Polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS. Although it's normal for girls to have some testosterone the male hormone , girls with PCOS have higher testosterone levels in the blood.
They also may have irregular periods , too much hair growth, and bad acne. Insulin resistance and diabetes. Insulin is a hormone that lowers the level of glucose a type of sugar in the blood. When there is too must body fat, insulin is less effective at getting glucose, the body's main source of energy, into cells. The body then needs more insulin to maintain a normal blood sugar level.
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