It’s no question that the number of people who are overweight, when it comes to worldwide population, is increasing. The most recent data suggests that “the number of obese people in the world has tripled since 1975 to roughly 30% of the total population”[1], and this number continues to rise. However, before reaching obesity, many people struggle with being overweight due to different circumstances. The projections shared by the World Health Organization (WHO) display that at least one in three of the world’s adult population is overweight.
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Many things factor into the equation that leads an individual to being overweight, such as the environment they grew up in, underlying medical conditions that prevent them from maintaining a healthy weight, or sedentary lifestyles. Whichever the reason may be, being overweight has become a global problem that affects millions of people of varying ages. The effects of being overweight can range from self-esteem issues to physical issues, and even develop into obesity, which is why it’s important to engage in healthy practices. However, it has also been demonstrated that being overweight is not the same as being unhealthy.
Our multidisciplinary team at LIMARP®, led by Dr. Liza María Pompa González, is here to help you understand the effects of being overweight, as well as provide all the necessary tools and information to ensure that you lead a healthier lifestyle. We will discuss the several effects of being overweight in this article, as well as what constitutes being overweight, and if it’s possible to be healthy despite having an above average body mass index (BMI).
As always, we’d like to remind you that each case is different and the information presented in this article is general. If you recognize any of these symptoms or have experienced any uncomfortable side effects due to being overweight, please contact your doctor as soon as possible to determine the exact cause.
How to Know if You’re Overweight
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if a person has a BMI that ranges from 25 to 30, they’re considered overweight[2]. However, there are other signs that may indicate that a person is overweight and it’s important that a healthcare professional helps determine whether a person is healthy or not. For example, waist circumference can be another factor that determines if a person is overweight or not. The fatty tissue found inside the abdomen is called visceral or abdominal fat and it interferes with the body’s endocrine and immune systems. It can also cause inflammation and contributes to obesity-related complications, including heart disease and diabetes[3].
Other signs that may help a person determine if they’re overweight are fatigue, chronic snoring, and swollen joints. Sometimes, the excess weight is a consequence of other underlying medical conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), hypothyroidism, and Cushing’s syndrome.
The Effects of Being Overweight
Now that we know more about what constitutes being overweight, let’s go over some of the effects it can have on a person’s mental, physical, and emotional wellness. When it comes to mental and emotional effects, a 2018 study[4] noted that “between 20% and 60% of persons with obesity, and extreme obesity in particular, suffer from a psychiatric illness”.
These effects seem to be stronger for women than men, perhaps because of society’s emphasis on thinness as a characteristic of female beauty.
Anxiety, another mental health condition, has also been shown to have negative effects on overweight people, especially in social situations[5]. When it comes to social effects, mainstream standards that are perpetuated by social media, television, and movies have not been kind to people with obesity or to those who do not fit the norm. They’re either the punchline to cruel jokes, stigmatized by those around them, or completely shut off from certain activities due to their weight.
There are also physical effects, such as hypertension, high levels of triglycerides, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, risk of stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, many types of cancer, and joint pain.
Can You Be Overweight and Healthy?
According to Harvard Health[5], there are certain parameters that can classify certain overweight people as metabolically healthy despite having a high BMI, such as:
- A waist size of 40 inches for a man or 35 inches for a woman.
- Normal blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
- Normal sensitivity to insulin.
- Good physical fitness.
It’s also important to note that BMI is not always the best indicator to determine if a person is healthy and that can be seen when muscular people are labeled as overweight due to their mass index. If a person is overweight, it’s important to take into account other aspects of their health before deeming them unhealthy, as the extra weight tends to have different effects from person to person.
Contact Us to Learn More
If you want to learn more about the effects of being overweight, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.
References:
- [1] “Most Obese Countries 2022”. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-obese-countries. (Accessed February 19, 2023).
- [2] “Defining Adult Overweight & Obesity”. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/basics/adult-defining.html. (Accessed February 19, 2023).
- [3] “OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY: Symptoms and Diagnosis”. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/overweight-and-obesity/symptoms. (Accessed February 19, 2023).
- [4] Sarwer DB, Polonsky HM. The Psychosocial Burden of Obesity. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2016 Sep;45(3):677-88. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2016.04.016. PMID: 27519139; PMCID: PMC6052856.
- [5] “Overweight and healthy: the concept of metabolically healthy obesity”. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/overweight-and-healthy-the-concept-of-metabolically-healthy-obesity-201309246697. (Accessed February 19, 2023).