The source of all diseases! Nine major hazards of obesity, how many do you know?

Editor's note: As the saying goes, "A fair complexion hides a hundred uglinesses, but obesity ruins everything." From a health perspective, obesity not only ruins your appearance, but also causes many serious harms to your body. In this issue, the editor will talk to you about the harms that obesity can bring to your body.

Nine dangers of obesity

Impact on life expectancy Obesity is closely related to mortality, that is, as obesity increases, mortality also increases significantly. When the body mass index [BMI = weight (kg) / height 2 (m)] exceeds 35, the mortality rate increases by 30%-40% compared to normal people. According to scientific research data, obesity can reduce life expectancy by 6-7 years. What's more frightening is that if a person is severely obese and his BMI is greater than 40, the life expectancy of a man will be reduced by 20 years.

Impact on blood pressure After adulthood, especially when people are 40-50 years old, obese people are 50% more likely to develop high blood pressure than normal people.

The impact on the heart is not secondary to hypertension or coronary heart disease, but its direct impact on heart function. Due to obesity, fat will adhere to the surface of the heart, reducing the heart's contractile function and greatly increasing the incidence of heart failure.

The incidence of cerebrovascular disease in China is very high. Due to arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, obesity, dyslipidemia, etc., ischemic cerebral infarction is very common.

Diabetes and obesity are like shadows that accompany diabetes. The incidence of diabetes in obese people is 4 times higher than that of normal people. 90% of newly diagnosed diabetic patients are obese, and there are very few who are not obese. According to research, when the body mass index is 22-23, the risk of diabetes is actually very low; when it is 23-31, the risk becomes 40%, which increases 10 times; when the body mass index is 35, the risk of diabetes in women is 93.2%! Therefore, diabetes and obesity are closely related.

Fatty liver and dyslipidemia The incidence of fatty liver and dyslipidemia is very high in China, but people often don’t know that about 10% of fatty liver patients will progress to fatty hepatitis, leading to cirrhosis or liver cancer.

We call snoring obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Don't underestimate snoring, this disease is very common in obese people and is very harmful. The incidence of this disease in obese people is as high as 50%-70%, while it is only 2%-4% in the general population. Some obese people will have apnea when they doze off during the day or sleep at night, with obvious hypoxia and certain brain damage. Sudden cardiac death is common in these patients.

Tumors Obesity is closely related to some tumors, including ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Obesity can lead to a significant increase in the incidence of these diseases, and the incidence of colorectal cancer will increase significantly in both men and women after obesity.

Some of these cancers have achieved relatively good results in treatment, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer. However, the survival rate of patients with ovarian cancer, bladder cancer and endometrial cancer for more than 5 years is still relatively low.

The incidence of osteoarthritis has increased significantly. As we age, our joints gradually age. Heavy pressure will undoubtedly promote joint diseases. Coupled with the disorders of sugar metabolism and purine metabolism, the incidence of these diseases has increased significantly.

Obese teenagers' blood vessels start to harden at age 10

The arteries of obese adolescents begin to stiffen in their teens, according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

"Arterial stiffness is no longer seen in the middle-aged and elderly population," said Xu Zhimin, deputy chief physician of the Department of Cardiology at Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. Increased arterial stiffness means increased hardness, poor elasticity, increased fragility, and increased blood pressure fluctuations in blood vessels, which can easily lead to vascular plaques and blockages. This can lead to many diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, coronary heart disease, and lower extremity artery occlusion.

In recent years, the trend of arteriosclerosis at a younger age has become increasingly obvious, and among these people, obese people are the majority, and children, adolescents and young people are the groups with the fastest rising obesity rates.

"In the past, people thought that arteriosclerosis was a disease of the middle-aged and elderly. But now we have found in clinical practice that many obese children and young people will have arteriosclerosis." Xu Zhimin explained that some children have excessive nutrition intake and lack of exercise, which leads to fat accumulation and obesity. The large amount of fat caused by obesity accumulates on the inner wall of blood vessels, and over time, arteriosclerosis forms. Obese patients generally have hyperlipidemia, which is an important cause of atherosclerosis.

I exercise every day, but why can’t I lose weight?

Eat more. Many people have a greater appetite after working out, especially those who exercise at night and women. When the calorie intake is greater than the calorie expenditure, it is impossible to lose fat.

Wrong choice of fitness program. If the purpose of fitness is just to lose weight, then bench press, squats and other programs that stimulate muscle growth are not suitable, because these exercises will increase muscle cross-sectional area and muscle weight, leading to an overall increase in weight. It is recommended to choose some small strength exercises, such as dumbbell curls or non-weight-bearing exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, etc.), to stimulate small muscle groups, thereby reducing the impact on muscle cross-sectional area and avoiding excessive muscle volume growth, so as not to have the illusion that weight loss cannot be achieved.

The resting metabolic rate decreases. If you do not use the right method to lose fat, a side effect will occur, which is that the resting metabolic rate (the rate at which you consume energy when you are not doing anything) will begin to decrease. The correct method to lose fat is to adopt the order of "aerobic + strength + relaxation" to ensure that muscle content is not lost. Do not rely on dieting to lose fat, which will only cause a large amount of muscle content to be lost. When muscle is lost faster than fat, the muscle will atrophy, eventually leading to a lower resting metabolic rate.

Not active at ordinary times. Many people like to concentrate their time on fitness, which leads to physical exhaustion. After returning home, they just want to "collapse" in bed and don't want to move. This behavior is called "motor homeostasis", that is, when the human body increases physical activity in one area, the body will become inactive in another area, automatically compensating for the energy consumed, which is very unfavorable for fat loss. Therefore, exercise should be moderate and not excessive, and slight to moderate sweating is enough. In this way, the body can be kept active most of the time in life, such as riding a bicycle to and from get off work, walking to the subway station, and going up and down the stairs.

Four days of poor sleep will cause fat to accumulate

A study published in the American Journal of Lipid Research showed that not getting enough sleep for four days will lead to rapid accumulation of fat in the body and weight gain.

The impact of lack of sleep on health can be seen from the change in weight alone. Early studies have found that when sleep is insufficient, leptin levels in the body decrease by 18%, while ghrelin levels increase by 28%. Therefore, when sleep is poor, people are more likely to be hungry, and they particularly prefer high carbohydrates. When sleep is insufficient, people will eat more (especially high-calorie foods) and store them as extra energy. This will cause a sudden rise in insulin and rapid storage of fat, which will lead to rapid weight gain. Therefore, in order to lose weight and fat, in addition to a reasonable diet and active exercise, you must also "get enough sleep." The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults should get enough sleep for 7 to 9 hours a night. Other studies have found that 120 minutes of light exposure after getting up can promote leptin secretion in the body and reduce ghrelin levels. Therefore, people who lack sleep can reduce the risk of obesity caused by lack of sleep by exercising outdoors and basking in the sun.

Long-term use of mobile phones increases the risk of obesity by 40%

The harm of using smartphones for a long time is not only to the eyes and cervical spine. A study by Simon Bolivar University in Colombia shows that if people use their phones for more than five hours a day, their risk of obesity increases by more than 40%, and they are more likely to develop unhealthy habits such as not liking to exercise and eating junk food, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.

The researchers reported to the 2019 American College of Cardiology Latin American Conference that the study involved 1,060 college students aged 19 to 20, including 700 girls and 360 boys. The researchers found that if the subjects used smartphones for more than 5 hours a day, their risk of obesity increased by 43%. At the same time, the likelihood of consuming more sugary drinks, fast food, desserts, and snacks doubled. Smartphones bring many conveniences to life, but people should pay attention to developing healthy usage habits. Long-term use can easily lead to long periods of sedentary life and insufficient exercise, which increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, various cancers, bone and joint discomfort, etc.

Many people look thin, but are actually fat

Many people often eat and drink a lot and don't like to exercise, but they have slender limbs and don't look fat. Such people may have high body fat and various potential health problems. The website of the American "Shape" magazine published an article to remind these "skinny fat people" to change their lifestyle.

Lauren Klein, a weight management expert in New York, said that the BMI (body mass index) of "skinny fat people" is usually normal or low, but after examination, it is found that they have high blood sugar, low good cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure and other problems. Because they are naturally thin, these people often eat whatever they want and do not like to exercise, which leads to low muscle mass, insufficient vitamin intake, and may also cause fatigue, lack of concentration, poor metabolism and other problems. Once they have problems with their bodies, they may be more serious than fat people.

If most of the following apply to you, you should be alert: you have not done any strength training since graduating from school; you love sweets, artificial sweeteners, carbohydrates, and processed foods; you do not consume enough protein; you often feel tired, have poor spirits, lack concentration, and are forgetful; you have an apple-shaped body, with thin limbs and a fat belly; and you feel dizzy even after moderate exercise.

It is recommended that this type of "skinny fat people" change their lifestyle in three aspects: 1. Build muscle. Muscle is the key to increasing the basal metabolic rate, and it can also prevent sugar from entering the blood vessels and causing high blood sugar. It is recommended to do strength training at least twice a week. 2. Eat a balanced diet. In particular, you should reduce sugar intake, and take a balanced intake of protein, fat, vegetables, and carbohydrates. Try to eat less white rice, refined noodles, and processed foods. 3. Release stress in time. When you are under great pressure, your blood pressure will also rise. You can try yoga, exercise, and other methods to help relax your body and mind. Ensure 6 to 8 hours of sleep to give your body a full rest. (People's Health Network compiled from Beijing Youth Daily, Life Times, Health Times, and Beijing Daily)