Why overweight is unhealthy

You may also benefit from receiving psychological support from a trained healthcare professional to help change the way you think about food and eating. If lifestyle changes alone do not help you lose weight, a medicine called orlistat may be recommended. If taken correctly, this medicine works by reducing the amount of fat you absorb during digestion.

Your GP will know whether orlistat is suitable for you. In some cases, weight loss surgery may be recommended. Obesity can cause a number of further problems, including difficulties with daily activities and serious health conditions. The psychological problems associated with being obese can also affect your relationships with family and friends, and may lead to depression. Being obese can also increase your risk of developing many potentially serious health conditions, including:.

Obesity reduces life expectancy by an average of 3 to 10 years, depending on how severe it is. It's estimated that obesity and being overweight contribute to at least 1 in every 13 deaths in Europe. There's no quick fix for obesity. Weight loss programmes take time and commitment, and work best when fully completed.

The healthcare professionals involved with your care should provide encouragement and advice about how to maintain the weight loss achieved. Regularly monitoring your weight, setting realistic goals, and involving your friends and family with your attempts to lose weight can also help. Our guide to care and support explains your options and where you can get support. If it's been a long time since you did any exercise, you should check out the Couch to 5K running plan. Although genes strongly influence body type and size, the environment also plays a role.

People today are gaining weight because of unhealthy food choices like fast food and family habits like eating in front of the TV instead of around a table. High-calorie, low-nutrient snacks and beverages, bigger portions of food, and less-active lifestyles are all contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Sometimes people turn to food for emotional reasons, such as when they feel upset, anxious, sad, stressed out, or even bored. When this happens, they often eat more than they need. Figuring out if a teen is overweight is a little more complicated than it is for adults. That's because teens are still growing and developing. Doctors and other health care professionals use a measurement called body mass index BMI to tell if someone is overweight.

The doctor calculates BMI using a person's height and weight, and then plots that number on a chart. There are different charts for girls or guys. BMI estimates how much body fat the person has. Because muscle weighs more than fat, a muscular person can have a high BMI, but not too much body fat. Likewise, it's possible for someone to have a low or ideal BMI but still have too much body fat.

Obesity is bad news for both body and mind. Not only can it make someone feel tired and uncomfortable, carrying extra weight puts added stress on the body, especially the bones and joints of the legs. Kids and teens who are overweight are more likely to develop diabetes and other health problems. And overweight adults have a higher chance of getting heart disease.

Obesity increases the chance of having asthma. Breathing problems related to weight can make it harder to keep up with friends, play sports, or just walk from class to class. Sleep apnea. This condition where a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep is a serious problem for many overweight kids and adults. Sleep apnea can leave people feeling tired and affect their ability to concentrate and learn.

It also may lead to heart problems. High blood pressure. When blood pressure is high, the heart has to work harder.

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