From Your Health Journal…..”An excellent article today in the Washington Post about the effects of obesity, as so many people only think obesity causes heart disease and diabetes, but also may cause cancer, arthritis, sleep apnea, even infertility. The study from this article suggested that just 7 percent of people surveyed mentioned cancer, although doctors long have known that fat increases the risk of developing cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, uterus and certain other sites. Plus, being overweight can make it harder to spot tumors early and to treat them. Then there’s the toll on your joints, especially the knees. About 15 percent of people knew obesity can contribute to arthritis, a vicious cycle as the joint pain then makes it harder to exercise and shed pounds. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and strokes were fairly low on the list. Infertility didn’t get a mention. Please visit The Washington Post web site (link provided below) to read the complete article. The Washington Post is a great resource for credible health related stories.”
From the article…..
Heart disease and diabetes get all the attention, but what about the many other ways obesity can damage your health?
Carrying too many pounds may lead to or worsen some types of cancer, arthritis, sleep apnea, even infertility. But a new poll suggests few Americans realize the links.
Only about one-quarter of people think it’s possible for someone to be very overweight and still healthy, according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Ask about the most serious consequences, and more than 7 in 10 Americans can correctly tick off heart disease and diabetes. Heart disease is the nation’s leading killer, and diabetes and obesity are twin epidemics, as rates of both have climbed in recent years.
The other consequences aren’t so well known.
“People are often shocked to hear how far-reaching the effects of obesity are,” said Jennifer Dimitriou, a bariatric dietitian at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center.
Just 7 percent of people surveyed mentioned cancer, although doctors long have known that fat increases the risk of developing cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, uterus and certain other sites. Plus, being overweight can make it harder to spot tumors early and to treat them.
Then there’s the toll on your joints, especially the knees. About 15 percent of people knew obesity can contribute to arthritis, a vicious cycle as the joint pain then makes it harder to exercise and shed pounds.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol and strokes were fairly low on the list. Infertility didn’t get a mention.
To read the full article…..Click here