Diseases caused or affected by obesity
Obesity has a major impact on and can often cause other diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer.
Altogether, obesity causes or affects more than 30 different conditions including hypertension osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnoea, dyslipidaemia and hyper cholesterol, infertility in women (PCO), erectile dysfunction, depression, urinary stress incontinence, and asthma.
These conditions often lead to a decreased quality of health and life of those affected. Below you will find links to information on some of the most common obesity-related conditions. If you have obesity it is important to talk with your doctor about these conditions.
[1] Khaodhiar L., McCowen K.C., & Blackburn G.L. (1999). Obesity and its comorbid conditions. Clinical Cornerstone 2(3), pp. 17-31.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, and was once known as adult onset diabetes. However, in recent years, the rate of type 2 diagnoses in children has been growing.
Cardiovascular disease is a term that describes a disease of the heart or blood vessels.
Cancer involves the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that have mutated from normal tissues. These cells prevent normal function of vital organs, damaging essential systems.
Hypertension is high blood pressure measured in millimetres of mercury (mm Hg). Hypertension is when your blood pressure persistently goes over 140/90 mm Hg.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel (artery) that supplies blood to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot.
Dyslipidaemia, or high cholesterol, means that there is an imbalance of fats (lipids) circulating in the blood stream.
There are more than 100 different types of liver disease.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease causing deterioration of the joint cartilage (the softer parts of bones which cushion their connections to each other) and the formation of new bone (bone spurs) at the margins of the joints.
There are a range of respiratory diseases caused by obesity.
Sleep apnoea is a serious sleep disorder characterised by interrupted breathing during sleep.