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Complications of Obesity and Treatment Options
Understanding the Complications Associated with Obesity and the Different Treatment Options Available: Gastric Bypass Surgery May Be Best Option for Some Patients
Abstract
Obesity has become epidemic in the United States, and the incidence is steadily rising. Obesity can negatively affect all aspects of an individual’s life, from the stigmas in social scene, to the devastating health consequences, such as diabetes mellitus. In general the more obese the individual is the more complications and risks factors for comorbid disease. ... The main therapy for obesity is diet and exercise. ... However, gastric bypass surgery is not without risk and complications. ...
Obesity is a chronic disease which is characterized by excess adipose tissue. In addition to carrying around excess weight, obesity has many sequela, many which can be life threatening. Obesity should be considered a serious medical disease instead of just a social stigma or a weakness in a person’s character (Oeser, 1997). The incidence of obesity is steadily rising in the US, as it is in many other western societies. ... In this paper I intend to examine the causes of obesity and the various treatment options available. Specifically, I will examine the outcomes of gastric bypass surgery and the complications associated with the surgery.
Causes of Obesity
To maintain a steady weight a person must have a balance between their caloric intake and their energy expenditure. ... Obesity occurs when this balance is broken for prolonged periods of time. However, saying that obesity is solely caused by overeating and a sedentary lifestyle is not adequate. Obesity is more complex than that. ... Morbid obesity is defined as being at least 100 pounds overweight, a body mass index over 35, and having 25% or more body fat (Tanenberg & Pories, 2000).
There are also many multifactorial interactions associated with the cause of obesity, such as genetics, social status, environment, education, ethnicity, and sex. For instance, the incidence of obesity is shown to be significantly higher in women, Hispanics and African Americans (Oeser, 1997). There are the rare exceptions when the cause of obesity is directly related to a single gene defect; diseases, such as Prader Willi and Bardet Biedl are examples of this. ... Although, these conditions have been associated with weight gain, it’s usually not significant enough to lead to morbid obesity. ... This means that most of the other causes of obesity are potentially changeable factors (Oeser, 1997).
There is also ongoing research to try and understand the brain’s role in obesity. ... It is known that an inability to respond or to produce leptin, leads to excess food intake and a low energy level, which will in turn cause obesity. However, there has been no evidence found that suggest a mutation of the ob gene is a cause of obesity, and why this depletion in leptin occurs has not been discovered (Oeser, 1997).
The Complications of Obesity
People who are obese often have difficulty doing simple everyday tasks, such as playing with their children, grocery shopping, and walking up stairs. Obesity negatively affects the overall health of the individual. ... While many people know the social and mental consequences of being obese, many people are not aware of the devastating effects physically that obesity induces.
Comorbidity Risks
Obesity associated with other diseases is estimated to kill 300,000 per year, and is considered the second most common cause of preventable deaths (Oeser, 1997). This is because obesity increases the risk of many chronic medical conditions. For example, many epidemiological studies have proved a direct association between obesity and atherosclerotic disease. ... Yet another common and deadly medical condition associated with obesity is type 2 diabetes. ... According to Diabetes Week “Obesity and insulin resistance are both powerful predicators of coronary heart disease and insulin resistance at any given degree of obesity accentuates the risk of CHD and type 2 diabetes”, (Diabetes Week, 2002 pp. ...
Obesity also causes an increased chance of having gallstones. ... A rare complication of obesity is pseudotumor cerebri, which causes blurred vision, headache, intracranial hypertension, and elevated cerebrospinal fluid levels. ... Other more common complications of obesity include pressure ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux, asthma, stroke, and urinary incontinence, female sex hormone dysfunction, related to dysmenorrhea, infertility, hirsutism, and an increase risk of endometrial cancer. ... Many people try various different options, such as fad diets, acupuncture, acupressure, hypnosis, diet aid drugs and herbal supplements.
Approximate Word count = 3598
Approximate Pages = 14.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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