Obesity: Affects not only the physical health

Obesity and Emotional Problems

Obesity as onen problem on the weight maintenance, also leads to depression and anxiety problems, which can worsen a woman’s infertility.

According to the Archives of General Psychiatry (2004), Vol 63 No.7, mind plays a very important role in our reproductive system. There is a constant interaction between our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings that produce chemical, hormonal, neurological and muscular changes. Any imbalances in our emotions lead to release of excessive hormones that upset the natural flow of the pituitary gland secretions like luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This may further lead to an ovulation or suppressed ovulation.

Moreover, also stated by the American Psychological Association, “obesity in women was associated with 37% increase in major depression.....and more frequent thoughts of suicide.” Depression due to stress results in excessive consumption of food and even binge eating. Additional research by the APA has shown that obese women with binge-eating disorder have developed a low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and depression.
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Obesity and Interpersonal Relationships

Deborah Carr presented a paper titled "The Social Stigma of Obesity: Does Body Weight Affect the Quality of Interpersonal Relationships?" at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. In this paper, she shows that “the stigma of early obesity persists over the life course, and affects positive and negative aspects of family relationships during adulthood.” Obesity often leads to low self-esteem, a loss of dignity and emotional instability. When people are clinically obese, they usually suffer physical limitations too. They become so inactive, that even the simplest of tasks becomes physically exhaustive. There is also a social stigma to obesity; people who suffer often find themselves stared at in the street or the victim of verbal and psychological abuse. This not only affects the individual sufferer, but their partner too.
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Obesity and Socio-Economic Implications

According to the Economic and Social Research Council, UK, “in developed countries, there is an inverse relationship between obesity and socioeconomic status. For example, among women from social class I (professional), the rate of obesity is 10.7 per cent, while in women from social class V (unskilled), one in four women is obese.” So is the fact in our own country. The alarming rise of obesity among the working American women proves the fact that the inactive and sedentary lifestyle is the root cause.

An obesity report by the Health Committee of the UK parliament calculates “the cost of overweight and obesity to the nation at up to £7.4 billion per year, a figure which will rapidly rise.” The obesity epidemic will not only increase health care costs, but will also create a scarcity for healthy workers. The committee opines that obesity is a result of more calories and less physical activity. It has concluded that a regular and moderate physical activity is advisable to prevent weight gain.

These health problems are to a very large extent avoidable, if one determines to maintain one’s normal weight. After all ‘Prevention is better than cure’.

Obesity and Pregnancy: The Danger of the Link

Excess weight is a major cause for high-risk pregnancies and pregnancy related problems. According to the Bureau of Family and Community Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, “In Massachusetts, 43% of the women in the WIC program are either overweight or obese prior to their pregnancy and 51% of the WIC participants gain too much weight during their pregnancy.” Obesity is one of the common causes for complications in pregnancy. Dr. Laura Riley, in her article “A Call to Action: Obesity and Pregnancy”, writes that pregnant women are at greater risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, increased caesarean deliveries, longer hospital stays, premature deliveries, urinary infections, and failure to start or continue breastfeeding.

Before a woman even gets pregnant, the extra weight may cause infertility. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a condition where cysts (fluid-filled sacs) form on the ovaries and disrupts the regular menstrual cycle, is commonly associated with overweight and obese women. As well, fat tissue can produce an excess of estrogen. As a result, overweight and obese women may experience hormonal imbalance that can prevent ovulation.

"43% of the women in the WIC program are either overweight or obese prior to their pregnancy and 51% of the WIC participants gain too much weight during their pregnancy."

Individuals who are overweight or obese may endure difficulties trying to conceive. Women who weigh more than the recommended weight for their height and age pose a risk to their developing fetus. This is because overweight pregnant women often have larger fetuses and more likely need a C-section to prevent a difficult delivery that may both injure the mother and baby.

But this doesn’t mean that women who are planning to conceive must reduce weight drastically. This extreme step may again lead to delay in conception and other complications. Doctor’s advice to women with weight related problems, is to plan their conception only after reducing their weight in a planned manner. This ensures a safe delivery of the infant and less complications for the mother.

How does excess weight affect a woman’s fertility?

Excess weight contributes to an array of medical conditions or diseases. In women, abnormal weight can lead to diabetes, cancers, hypertension, and infertility.

Researchers all over the world have concluded that excess weight brings down the fertility levels in women. This is true especially with women in the age group of 35 and 45. According to Cadence Minge, researcher at the Adelaide University Research Centre for Reproductive Health, Australia, “the fat eggs of obese women, do not develop into healthy embryos.” The high levels of fat and cholesterol may damage the eggs, rendering them less fertile.

Excess weight causes defects in hormonal exchange and functioning of ovaries which can lead to miscarriages and sterility. Of course you can use different drugs to tackle this problem, but these drugs generally have long-term side effects. The only sure-shot solution for this is to lose excess weight in a methodical way and then plan your conception.

How does Overweight affect women?

Being overweight can be a social and health problem as well. The fad of being slim these days has been the trend in the society and being overweight can lead to social biases. However the effect of becoming overweight can be more than the emotional aspect and can lead to serious life complications.

When a person has more body fat than the usual or than the body requirement, for it to function normally, an individual is said to be overweight. Being overweight can lead to dramatic health problems and has significant effect on the fertility of a woman. Overweight affect woman in the sense that those who are trying to conceive may have to endure difficulties in the process.

As studies show, women are more prone to weight issues than men. Hence it is very essential that women should maintain a normal weight. One of the fatal diseases that often associated with being overweight is cancer, with breast and womb cancer in particular.

Aside from the hazards to one's health, being overweight can also affect the emotional well being of a woman. Affected by socio-economic factors, being overweight affects women with their self -esteem and their extent of social interaction. Women who are working should be conscious of their physical appearance since are more prone to social stereotyping and may affect their work evaluation. Some employers though might not be aware with this.

Yet despite of these alarming facts, being overweight and the issue of obesity continues to grow among women in the recent years. Therefore, changes in the lifestyle and eating habits must be recognized to bring in good health and minimal health problems. Getting into regular exercise and having an active lifestyle can help women move to a healthier life.

FAST FACTS on Overweight

Why are majority of European & American Women overweight?

And the rest of the World is catching up fast!

According to the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration, two-thirds of adult American women fall into the overweight or obese category, according to their BMIs (Body Mass Index). If this doesn’t alarm you, then you will be shocked to know that obesity among American women has multiplied between 1980 and 2004 and is still rising. This is especially true with women aged 40 and above.

Moreover, in reference to a prevalence and trend study (1999-2000) published in 2002 by the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are more overweight American men, but more obese American women.

This dramatic growth can be attributed to the modern and more sedentary lifestyle of American women. Desk jobs and a busy work schedule can hinder some to find time to do stretching and regular exercise to burn fats. Another side to this problem is the negative effect of media on women’s health. The unrealistic images of women portrayed in the media make other women detest their physical image. They try to find a shortcut to lose weight to reach unattainable goals in the shortest span, and end up with traumatic experiences. The alarming rise in women suffering from eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia nervosa only goes to show that the fad diets and crash diets cause more harm to your body, often irreparable.

Obesity – Why Quick Fixes Don’t Work

“More die in the United States of too much food than of too little.” -
-John Kenneth Galbraith, the Affluent Society.

The problem of obesity and overweight has created a significant clamor not only among health professionals in the United States but also among the individuals who are directly concerned with it.

As recent studies show, this problem have been common both in adults and the children. In 2005, with a collaboration of a group of scientists, partly supported by the National Institute on Aging (a component of the National Institutes of Health), a report was released that over the next few decades rising obesity could decline the life expectancy of the average American citizen by 5 years. This is also further justified by succeeding studies on the negative effect of obesity on the life expectancy of the stakeholders.



On the other hand, obese women, like men, have increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, general ill health and premature painful death. Obese and overweight people suffer more hypertension, joint disease, and kidney disease.
So what’s next? Losing weight through diets? While some succeed in shedding a few pounds, very few manage to keep it off. And most often quick fixes does not work. Why is it?

Basically a lot of people look for effortless weight-loss methods. So they fall for false claims like ‘Don’t burn or sweat, lose 10 pounds’ or ‘Enjoy parties and still stay fit’. A lot of money is invested in powders, gadgets, and programs that promise a ‘new you’. But at the end of it all, you realize there is ‘no gain without pain’. Even if you have lost a few pounds, you may gain all of it and more.

I will try to let you in on the secrets that you also can use to lose weight successfully and keep it off. But first you must understand these basic principles that underpin any successful weight-loss program.

1. Know why you want to lose weight and be passionate about your goal.
2. See your goal being achieved as a result of weight loss and not other things.
3. Understand why having a firm REASON to lose weight and keeping it off is CRITICAL.
4. Do it for yourself.
5. Have a supportive environment.
6. Understand the food code – I make it easy to understand and work with a balanced food code.
The more natural the food the better – why?
The lower the GI the better.
The lower the GI load the better.
7. Set time aside to lose weight and stick to the plan.
8. Learn to manage and control the demons within you! Stop binge eating!
9. Write all that you eat religiously – so you know how much you are eating.
10. Write down all the activities that you do – so you can tell how much energy you are spending.
11. Get as many aides as you can afford to help you along the way- hypnosis, exercise music, yoga, diet sheets, recipes etc.
12. Know why regular meals (within the bounds of your daily energy needs) works in your favour.
13. Eat slowly – at every meal. I explain why this is very important.
14. Practice this equation: The energy you spend MUST be more than the energy you take in.
15. Resetting your weight set point is a journey not a sprint!

Being able to consider these principles will help you set the foundations of your goal, that is to lose weight and maintain good health. See the next articles and learn the principles one by one.