Morbid obesity is an aspect of the disease that leads to early death amongst sufferers. It's not obesity itself that causes death, it’s the associated health problems. These health problems are so life threatening that an obese person can expect to live 9 years less than a non-obese person.

These life threatening conditions could include some of the following:

Type 2 diabetes - this is recognized as being one of man kinds most serious diseases. It's caused by excessive overweight and leads to blindness, loss of limbs, and eventually death.

Chronic heart disease, hypertension, disease of the arteries, stroke

Several forms of cancer are more prevalent in obese people - colon, prostate, bowel, kidney, and breast

Arthritis is more common amongst overweight people

People suffering from morbid obesity, having a BMI figure of 40 plus, will also experience difficulties in enjoying a normal lifestyle. They may have difficulties in walking or moving about (here lack of exercise will compound their problem). They could even have problems in being able to breathe.

Once the disease reaches this stage, a decline in the quality of life is inevitable. When this happens a sufferer usually withdraws from social life; they rarely venture outdoors; and they lose contact with their friends and neighbors.

Social Effects of Obesity

Whilst the health problems and restrictions of obesity are serious enough, the psychological problems associated with the disease are just as traumatic. The two biggest considerations here are a lack of self esteem experienced by a sufferer, and perhaps more important, social discrimination.

Lack of self-esteem is an immensely difficult ordeal that obese people have to endure. They are all too aware that large numbers of the general public regard obese people as being lazy and lacking in self respect. Depression and a feeling of hopelessness is common amongst obesity sufferers.

Discrimination is one of the most destructive aspects of having obesity. All sympathy for the plight of sufferers is denied as most of the public consider that being overweight is a voluntary condition and can be avoided quite easily. All it needs, according to the public, is a large measure of self control.

This was the attitude of large numbers of the medical profession until very recently, but these attitudes are quickly changing.

However, discrimination in the workplace, even though it's illegal, still presents a problem. Employers have the attitude that an obese person must be lazy to allow themselves to become overweight, so such a person would have difficulty in convincing an employer that they'd be a good team player.

In spite of these problems faced by the obese, help is at hand. Not only is there a growing realization that these people need help and guidance, there is a huge volume of information and advice available on the internet.

In addition to all this there are products on the market that claim to help obesity sufferers lose weight.

One such product has been clinically proven to reduce fat taken in by the body after eating a meal, and has been endorsed by the European Union as being a proven fat inhibitor. This product, Proactol, also meets the guidelines set down by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Page 2 of 2 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 | Next