Obesity

Health Risks of Obesity

How obesity affects your health depends on many things, including your age, gender, where you carry your body fat, and how physically active you are. For example, if you are an older woman who gets regular physical activity, you may be at less risk for other weight-related health problems than a younger man who is not physically active.

Risk for diseases

If you are obese, you are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and sleep apnea, among other conditions. If you lose weight, your risk for these conditions is reduced.

Where you carry body fat is important. If fat builds up mostly around your stomach (sometimes called apple-shaped), you are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease than people who are lean or people with fat around the hips (sometimes called pear-shaped).

See a chart on BMI, waist size, and risk for disease.

See more information on health problems related to obesity.

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Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: April 20, 2007
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology & Metabolism
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