Introduction
Obesity is a complex medical condition that affects human health adversely in various ways. Obesity rates have been increasing exponentially across regions and countries for at least three decades. Currently, around one-third of the world population is considered overweight or obese – double the prevalence of the disease since the 1980s (Chooi et al., 2018). The current situation with obesity in the world has already been called “the global obesity epidemic” (Powell-Wiley et al., 2021, p.984). Obesity influences mortality, morbidity, and healthcare expenses on a macro level. One of the reasons that obesity is considered such a burden for societies is the fact that it causes many additional health problems such as diabetes, heart complications, and even mental health issues.
Obesity and Diabetes
There is a close association between obesity and diabetes; patients with both diseases have higher risks of developing various health issues. Moreover, the chances of a person with diabetes becoming obese are also elevated. This association “led to the connotation ‘diabesity,’ highlighting the fact that the majority of individuals with diabetes are overweight or obese” (Leitner et al., 2017, p. 484). Patients with type one diabetes and obesity have an increased cardiometabolic risk and increased risk for developing chronic complications compared to normal-weight people with type one diabetes. Patients with type one diabetes and obesity have insulin resistance and high insulin requirements. The most significant factor that promotes weight gain in patients with type one diabetes is the exogenous use of insulin and intensive insulin treatment.
Dual treatment of type one diabetes and obesity is “full of barriers and challenges as the equilibrium between intensified insulin therapy, and optimal weight is difficult” (Vilarrasa et al., 2021, p. 2808). Dual treatment of type one diabetes and obesity is complex since there are no specific guidelines for increasing positive outcomes of both weight management and glycemic control. Dual treatment for patients with diseases is essential as studies demonstrated the correlation between total mortality and weight gain as a result of antidiabetic drug therapy (Leitner et al., 2017).
To avoid such results, it is necessary to use such a type of antidiabetic treatment that at least prevents additional weight gain by patients. One of the best clinical practices for dual treatment is a comprehensive approach by a multidisciplinary team based on a balanced hypocaloric diet, cognitive-behavioral, and increased physical activity. Another option is bariatric surgery, which is effectively used for weight loss in obese patients in the presence of diabetes; bariatric therapies are even considered more effective than drug therapies.
Obesity and Heart Issues
Obesity is associated with various heart diseases, and it can directly contribute to heart issues. Obesity poses many negative consequences, yet heart disease is one of the most dangerous among them. As it is known, the heart is one of the most significant organs in the human body, meaning that issues that can lead to heart diseases are extremely hazardous for the person’s health and life. Many health professionals, especially cardiologists, confirm that heart disease and obesity are strongly associated. Obesity rates worldwide are increasing now due to poor lifestyle quality, meaning that the risks of heart issues can increase as well (Penn Medicine, 2019).
There are three ways obesity can contribute to heart disease, including increased cholesterol levels, elevating blood pressure, and increasing the risk of diabetes. All of these problems are associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease development, particularly coronary heart disease and heart failure (Carbone et al., 2019). According to Carbone et al., “The exact mechanisms of obesity-induced heart failure are incompletely understood, however, the excess fat mass and fat-free mass play a central role” (2019, p. 93). Obesity research provides enough information on health improvement and specific recommendations for preventing cardiac issues in obesity.
One of the recommendations by the American Heart Association (AHA) with proven effectiveness includes lifestyle interventions, such as various types of exercises, diets, and other caloric restrictions (Powell-Wiley et al., 2021). It seems that the most effective exercises are those of aerobic type, while high-intensity exercises did not demonstrate any superiority compared to moderately intense ones.
Obesity and Mental Health Issues
Obesity is associated with mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and premenstrual syndrome. Obesity is a disorder with complex etiology and is correlated with various mental health issues, being a cause or an effect of many of them (Dabrowka et al., 2020). Despite the recent accelerated spread of obesity, it is still not understood entirely by the general population; many may still assume that obesity is the result of laziness or a lack of will. Thus, obese people may often experience discrimination or stigma, resulting in negative consequences for their psychological health. In fact, obesity can be caused by mental health problems, such as depression.
There is a bidirectional connection between depression and obesity, meaning that obesity can increase the likelihood of the development of depression, and depression can increase the risk of obesity. Overweight people eat more often than normal-weight individuals when experiencing negative emotions or situations. Anxiety and similar states of dysphoric mood such as anger, stress, or sadness are closely connected to obesity and binge eating disorders.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can have implications directly related to obesity. Seasonal affective disorder, an atypical form of depression, causes the increased food intake leading to weight accumulation. Women with premenstrual syndrome have the exact weight-gain mechanism as individuals with the seasonal affective disorder as they eat more when experiencing negative emotions related to the syndrome.
Conclusion
These days obesity is considered one of the most common and dangerous diseases humanity has to interact with. More resources are spent on obesity research and confrontation than ever before in history. While a lot of information about obesity has been gathered already, some of its dangers are not obvious to everyone. The dangers of obesity go beyond the complications it causes for human health; obesity is closely associated with other significant human health problems.
Diabetes and obesity are closely related, and in many cases, one person can have both diseases, which further worsens their negative consequences and makes the treatment way more complicated. Obesity also contributes to heart disease in numerous ways as both health conditions are closely associated. Obese people have a higher risk of heart problems due to cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and diabetes caused by their medical condition. Finally, there is a link between obesity and mental health issues – obesity and depression have a bidirectional relationship, while binge-eating disorder, post-traumatic stress, and seasonal affective disorder cause obesity due to unhealthy food intake.
References
Carbone, S., Canada, J. M., Billingsley, H. E., Siddiqui, M. S., Elagizi, A., & Lavie, C. J. (2019). Obesity paradox in cardiovascular disease: Where do we stand? Vascular Health and Risk Management, 15, 89–100. Web.
Chooi, Y. C., Ding, C., & Magkos, F. (2019). The epidemiology of obesity. Metabolism, 92, 6-10. Web.
Dąbrowska, J., Wójcik, M., Samek, I., Jańczyk, M., Bator, D., & Milanowska, J. (2020). Obesity and mental health. Journal of Education, Health and Sport, 10(6), 199-205. Web.
Leitner, D. R., Frühbeck, G., Yumuk, V., Schindler, K., Micic, D., Woodward, E., & Toplak, H. (2017). Obesity and type 2 diabetes: Two diseases with a need for combined treatment strategies-EASO can lead the way. Obesity Facts, 10(5), 483-492.
Penn Medicine. (2019). Three ways obesity contributes to heart disease. Web.
Powell-Wiley, T.M., Poirier, P., Burke, L.E., Després, J.P., Gordon-Larsen, P., Lavie, C.J., Lear, S.A., Ndumele, C.E., Neeland, I.J., Sanders, P., & St-Onge, M.P. (2021). Obesity and cardiovascular disease: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 143(21), 984-1010. Web.
Vilarrasa, N., San Jose, P., Rubio, M. Á., & Lecube, A. (2021). Obesity in patients with type 1 diabetes: Links, risks, and management challenges. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 14, 2807-2827. Web.