What are 2 ways that having a weight greater than the healthful range impacts a persons physical health describe each consequence in detail?

Many factors can affect your weight and lead to overweight or obesity. Some of these factors may make it hard for you to lose weight or avoid regaining weight that you’ve lost.

Family history and genes

Overweight and obesity tend to run in families, suggesting that genes may play a role. Your chances of being overweight are greater if one or both of your parents are overweight or have obesity. Your genes may affect the amount of fat you store in your body and where on your body you carry the extra fat.

Race or ethnicity

Some racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to have obesity. Obesity rates in American adults are highest in African Americans, followed by Hispanics/Latinos, then Caucasians. This is true for men and women.4 While Asian American men and women have the lowest rates of obesity,4 they can still be at risk of diseases associated with obesity if they carry a lot of unhealthy fat in their abdomen—even when their body mass index (BMI) is lower.5

Age

Many people gain weight as they age. Adults who have a normal BMI often start to gain weight in young adulthood and continue to gain weight until they are ages 60 to 65. In addition, children who have obesity are more likely to have obesity as adults.

Sex

In the United States, obesity is more common in black or Hispanic women than in black or Hispanic men.4 A person’s sex may also affect where the body stores fat. Women tend to build up fat in their hips and buttocks. Men usually build up fat in their abdomen or belly. Extra fat, particularly if it is around the abdomen, may put people at risk of health problems even if they have a normal weight.

Eating and physical activity habits

Your eating and physical activity habits may raise your chances of becoming overweight and having obesity if you

• eat and drink a lot of foods and beverages that are high in calories, sugar, and fat
• drink a lot of beverages that are high in added sugars
• spend a lot of time sitting or lying down and have limited physical activity

Where you live, work, play, and worship

Where you live, work, play, and worship may affect your eating and physical activity habits, and access to healthy foods and places to be active.

For example, living in an area that has a high number of grocery stores can increase your access to better quality, lower calorie foods. Living in a neighborhood with a lot of green spaces and areas for safe physical activity may encourage you to be more physically active.

Where you work and worship may also make it easier for you to eat unhealthy, high-calorie foods. Vending machines, cafeterias, or special events at your workplace or place of worship may not offer healthy, lower calorie options. Whenever possible, choose the healthier options and limit your treats to a small sliver of pie or cake.

Family habits and culture

Family eating and lifestyle habits may affect your weight and health. Some families may consume foods and beverages that are high in fat, salt, and added sugars or eat large amounts of unhealthy foods at family gatherings. Some families may also spend a lot of inactive time watching TV, using a computer, or using a mobile device instead of being active.

Your social, ethnic, or religious group culture may also affect your weight and health because of shared eating and lifestyle habits. Some cultures may consume foods and beverages that are high in fat, salt, and added sugars. Some common food preparation methods, such as frying, may lead to high-calorie intake. Regularly consuming foods high in calories, fat, and sugar may lead to weight gain overtime.

Not enough sleep

People who don’t get enough sleep may eat more calories and snack more.6 Experts recommend that adults ages 18 to 64 get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day, and that adults ages 65 and older get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day.7

Other factors

Other factors that can lead to weight gain include

• certain medical conditions
• certain medicines
• binge eating disorder
• stress

What makes it hard for some people to lose weight?

Many factors can make it hard to lose weight, including

• your genes
• what and how much you eat
• not getting regular physical activity or being inactive
• taking certain medicines
• having certain medical conditions
• Difficulty in managing stress

References

[4] Flegal KM, Kruszon-Moran D, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Ogden CL. Trends in obesity among adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014. JAMA. 2016;315(21):2284–2291.

[5] Liu X, Chen Y, Boucher NL, Rothberg AE. Prevalence and change of central obesity among US Asian adults: NHANES 2011–2014. BMC Public Health. 2017;17(1):678.

[6] St-Onge MP. Sleep-obesity relation: underlying mechanisms and consequences for treatment. Obesity Reviews. 2017;18(suppl 1):34–39.

[7] Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SA, et al. National Sleep Foundation’s updated sleep duration recommendations: final report. Sleep Health. 2015;1(4):233–243.

Overweight and obesity may raise your risk for certain health problems and may be linked to certain emotional and social problems.

What are some health risks of overweight and obesity?

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. About 8 out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or have obesity.8 Over time, high blood glucose leads to problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, nerve damage, and other health problems.

If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight and getting regular physical activity may prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition in which blood flows through your blood vessels with a force greater than normal. High blood pressure can strain your heart, damage blood vessels, and raise your risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and death.

Heart disease

Heart disease is a term used to describe several problems that may affect your heart. If you have heart disease, you may have a heart attack, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina, or an abnormal heart rhythm. High blood pressure, abnormal levels of blood fats, and high blood glucose levels may raise your risk for heart disease. Blood fats, also called blood lipids, include HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Losing 5 to 10 percent of your weight may lower your risk factors for developing heart disease. If you weigh 200 pounds, this means losing as little as 10 pounds. Weight loss may improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood flow.

Stroke

Stroke is a condition in which the blood supply to your brain is suddenly cut off, caused by a blockage or the bursting of a blood vessel in your brain or neck. A stroke can damage brain tissue and make you unable to speak or move parts of your body. High blood pressure is the leading cause of strokes.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you do not breathe regularly while sleeping. You may stop breathing altogether for short periods of time. Untreated sleep apnea may raise your risk of other health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. These conditions are

• high blood pressure
• high blood glucose levels
• high triglyceride levels in your blood
• low levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) in your blood
• too much fat around your waist

Fatty liver diseases

Fatty liver diseases are conditions in which fat builds up in your liver. Fatty liver diseases include nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fatty liver diseases may lead to severe liver damage, cirrhosis, or even liver failure.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common, long-lasting health problem that causes pain, swelling, and reduced motion in your joints. Being overweight or having obesity may raise your risk of getting osteoarthritis by putting extra pressure on your joints and cartilage.

Gallbladder diseases

Overweight and obesity may raise your risk of getting gallbladder diseases, such as gallstones and cholecystitis. Imbalances in substances that make up bile cause gallstones. Gallstones may form if bile contains too much cholesterol.

Some cancers

Cancer is a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues. Overweight and obesity may raise your risk of developing certain types of cancer.

Kidney disease

Kidney disease means that your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood like they should. Obesity raises the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, the most common causes of kidney disease. Even if you don’t have diabetes or high blood pressure, obesity itself may promote kidney disease and quicken its progress.

Pregnancy problems

Overweight and obesity raise the risk of health problems that may occur during pregnancy. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese may have a greater chance of

• developing gestational diabetes
• having preeclampsia—high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can cause severe health problems for mother and baby if left untreated
• needing a cesarean section, or C-section and, as a result, taking longer to recover after giving birth

What emotional and social problems are linked to overweight and obesity?

Overweight and obesity are associated with mental health problems such as depression. People who deal with overweight and obesity may also be the subject of weight bias and stigma from others, including health care providers. This can lead to feelings of rejection, shame, or guilt—further worsening mental health problems.

References

[8] National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics/statistics-report.html. Updated July 17, 2017. Accessed October 25, 2017.