Obesity can lead to numerous diseases, including joint and lung diseases, cardiovascular problems, diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure and lipometabolic diseases. Obesity also plays a role in the development of cancer. The life value of a 40-year-old obese person is shortened by 7 years on average.
Metabolic syndrome
Besides smoking, metabolic syndrome is regarded as a decisive risk factor for diseases of the arterial vessels, especially coronary heart disease. The so-called "deadly quartet" of metabolic syndrome includes:
- Obesity, especially visceral type
- High blood pressure
- Lipometabolic disorders
- Insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance, the main cause of diabetes mellitus type 2
Other common diseases in metabolic syndrome are hyperuricemia (increase in uric acid levels, gout) and hyperandrogenemia in women, i.e. an increase in androgen levels (male sex hormone). Blood clotting disorders are also more common, which increases the risk of thrombosis in obese people.
Visceral obesity is an important factor in insulin resistance, in which the cells react less to insulin supplied from the body and from outside. Affected are mainly muscle, liver and fat cells. A study from 1997 showed a 6.2-fold increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus with an abdominal girth of more than 96.4 cm compared to less than 71 cm within 8 years. Conversely, even moderate weight loss in obesity can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes. This correlation does not apply to autoimmune diabetes mellitus type 1.
The most common consequence of obesity is high blood pressure, which occurs 5 times more frequently in obese people than in people of normal weight. Here, too, weight loss leads to a reduction in elevated blood pressure values. Obesity leads to an increase in triglycerides with simultaneous lowering of HDL cholesterol in the blood, which is called dyslipidemia. It is a precursor of arteriosclerosis (arteriosclerosis).
Obesity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. These include heart failure, heart attack and sudden cardiac death as well as strokes.
Fatty liver
Visceral obesity can lead to liver obesity, which can range from inflammatory hepatitis to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Insulin resistance also plays an important role here.
Sleep-related respiratory disorders
Obesity can lead to the development of sleep apnoea syndrome, which is characterized by nocturnal breathing stops that can last for several minutes. Untreated, it leads to high blood pressure, heart problems, heart attacks, depression and stress disorders such as stomach ulcers, tinnitus and hearing loss. There too is a connection with the insulin resistance mentioned above.
Men are 4 times more likely to suffer from sleep apnoea syndrome than women. From a neck circumference of more than 43 cm in men and 40.5 cm in women, the risk of apnea syndrome increases significantly. The first sign of sleep apnoea syndrome is increased tiredness during the day.
Musculoskeletal system
Degenerative joint diseases occur more frequently and early in obesity. This often blocks the desired increase in physical activity during the treatment of obesity. Premature wear mainly affects the knee and hip joints, but spinal problems also increase.
Cancers
The risk of developing carcinoma is increased in obese people. The probability of developing a carcinoma is 12 - 50 % per increase in BMI of 5 kg/m², depending on the type of cancer.
A link between obesity and tumours is known for colon, kidney, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver and prostate cancer. Adipose women also have an increased risk of gallbladder and bile duct carcinoma, breast, ovarian and cervical cancer.
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