Morbid obesity can lead to a shorter life and many life-threatening health problems, known as co-morbidities. The risk of early death for those struggling with obesity is twice that of non-obese people. When medically supervised weight loss plans fail, weight loss surgery offers a final chance at enjoying good health and a longer life. But successful weight loss surgery involves a serious commitment to a healthy diet and regular exercise. Developing this dedication begins with understanding the health risks of obesity.
Here’s list of obesity related health conditions and how weight loss surgery can affect each one.
Type 2 Diabetes
High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
Lipid Disorders/High Cholesterol
Osteoarthritis
Cancer
Depression
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Urinary Stress Incontinence
Asthma and Pulmonary Conditions
Reproductive health
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a long-term metabolic disorder in which the body produces insulin but resists it. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar. Because of excess weight, obese individuals develop resistance to insulin, which controls blood sugar. While type 2 diabetes may occur regardless of someone’s age, gender or body mass, the disease tends to be more severe in the obese.
Weight loss surgery can lower insulin resistance, the risk for metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure and amount of fats in the blood. Many successful weight loss surgery patients experience improvement or resolution of type 2 diabetes.
High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
Incidence of high blood pressure and heart disease is greater among obese people than among non-obese people. Excess body weight prevents the heart from working properly. The result can be high blood pressure (hypertension), which can cause strokes as well as heart and kidney damage.
Weight loss surgery reduces excess body weight over time, which reduces strain on the heart. Changes in diet and exercise following surgery can lead to significant improvement of hypertension and other cardiovascular problems.
Lipid Disorders/HIgh Cholesterol
Lipid disorders including high cholesterol tend to be more severe in the obese. As these lipids, or fats, build up inside the artery walls, harmful scar tissue and other debris begin thickening and hardening the walls. This is known as atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
Weight loss surgery can improve lipid disorders in most successful patients.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints is one of the most common forms of arthritis and tends to be more severe in obese people. It’s a chronic condition in which a joint’s cartilage breaks down over time. Morbidly obese people with osteoarthritis often experience rapid inflammation and pain in the knees and hips. Similarly, bones and muscles of the back constantly are strained, causing disk problems, pain and decreased range of movement.
As weight on joints reduces following weight loss surgery, osteoarthritis can be nearly alleviated in many patients.
Cancer
Several types of cancer are more likely to develop in morbidly obese people. These include colon, kidney, breast, uterine and esophageal cancers. Also, morbidly obese people are more likely to die from many types of cancer than people with healthy body weight.
Depression
Depression depends to be more severe in the obese. Many everyday activities people with healthy body weight take for granted are big challenges for morbidly obese people. These activities include walking, social interaction, finding clothes that fit, and fitting in public seats.
Emotional health parallels physical health. Lifestyle improvements and renewed health can help resolve depression. Weight loss, combined with counseling, can be very helpful in improving mental health. Successful weight loss surgery patients experience improved quality of life, social interactions, psychological well-being, employment opportunities and economic status.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious medical condition characterized by a sudden stop in breathing because soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. This can occur hundreds of times during the night and contributes to many other health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease. Morbid obesity can cause sleep apnea and other respiratory problems because fat builds up in the tongue and neck and because more weight presses down on the chest and lungs.
Significant weight loss can dramatically reduce or resolve sleep apnea and other breathing problems.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is injury to the esophagus caused by chronic exposure to stomach acid. While heartburn is often associated with this disease, occasional heartburn does not indicate GERD. This is a serious disease that can cause esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer. Excess body weight may weaken the valve at the top of the stomach, allowing acid to escape into the esophagus. This escape is known as gastroesophageal reflux.
Weight loss surgery improves GERD by reducing the amount of stomach acid reaching the esophagus.
Urinary Stress Incontinence
The risk of urinary stress incontinence in women increases with morbid obesity. A large, heavy abdomen and relaxation of the pelvic muscles due to morbid obesity can cause the valve on the urinary bladder to weaken, leading to leakage of urine with coughing, sneezing, or laughing.
Weight loss surgery can improve urinary stress incontinence. Less weight is placed on the bladder, and other physical changes take place to improve this condition.
Asthma and Pulmonary conditions
Asthma and pulmonary conditions tend to be more severe in the obese. Adult-onset asthma is closely associated with GERD. Common symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing and chest tightness.
While asthma remains a treatable but incurable disease, symptoms can tend to diminish through significant weight loss.
Reproductive Health
Reproductive health can be a concern for women struggling with morbid obesity. Issues such as infertility and menstrual irregularities may occur due to morbid obesity. Menstruation issues include cycle interruption, abnormal flow and additional pain during the menstrual cycle. Fertility issues include possible miscarriage, reduced success with fertility treatments and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Weight loss surgery can improve or resolve conditions that might interfere with pregnancy. Weight loss following surgery influences hormonal changes which affect fertility. Weight loss surgery patients generally should prevent pregnancy during the first 2 years after surgery. So it’s important to know be aware of changes in fertility after surgery in order to avoid becoming pregnant too soon.
