Obesity can exhibit different symptoms or signs. Most people know when they have gained weight. The most apparent signs of overweight or obesity are:
– The clothes are tight and larger size is needed.
– The scale shows that there has been an increase in weight.
– There is excess fat around the waist.
The consequences of overweight are not only confined to the body but can also affect the mental condition and affect social life.
Low endurance
When you are overweight or obese, you usually have less endurance. The typical manifestations of the low physical strength are rapid fatigue and sometimes also breathing difficulties before physical exertion.
Breathing problems
Accumulation of excess fat below the diaphragm and chest wall may put pressure on the lungs, causing breathing difficulties and shortness of breath, even with minimal effort. The difficulty in breathing may seriously interfere with sleep, causing momentary breathing stops (apnea), leading to daytime sleepiness and other complications.
Excessive sweating
Increased sweating also comes with obesity: people with excessive weight are prone to heavy sweating due not only to physical exertion or high temperatures. The reason is that as they have low body surface area (BSA) relative to their weight, they can not eliminate body heat efficiently, so they sweat more than thin people.
Joint discomfort
Joint discomfort is also common in this condition. Overweight carries a permanent stress on joints, particularly in the lower region of the spine, in the hip joints and in the knee and ankle. The consequences are early signs of wear (osteoarthritis) with pain in the affected joints.
Psycho-social consequences
Obesity and overweight are not only manifested by physical symptoms but often also have mental and social consequences (psycho-social). Although obesity in some cultures corresponds to the ideal of beauty, in most societies the countless jokes and extreme reactions of people often lead to social exclusion of those affected. The consequences are depression, timidity in social situations and low self-esteem. The sharp limitation of physical mobility, which ostensibly reduces the quality of life in many areas, also increases the mental burden.
Complications
Obesity has been linked with a much higher risk of heart disease and three of its major risk factors: high blood pressure, diabetes onset in adulthood and elevated levels of lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides, and others) in the blood. Certain cancers are more common in obese than people who are not, such as breast cancer, uterine and ovarian cancer in women and colon, rectum and prostate cancer in men. Menstrual disorders are also more common in obese women and gallbladder disease occurs three times more often in them.
If you have problems associated with obesity, seek medical attention to discuss options for weight loss. Read our tips for healthy weight loss to get started. Even the most modest weight loss can improve or prevent problems related to obesity.