Submitted by Brittany King, APN, WHNP, Advanced Women’s Healthcare
Being overweight isn’t just about how you look. Did you know that even just 10 extra pounds can significantly raise your risk for other health problems? While the majority of women trying to lose weight are motivated by the desire to have their clothes fit better and feel more confident in their appearance, maybe the motivation should be to prevent disease.
While it’s certainly easy for a few extra pounds to creep up on us and it may not seem like a big deal, those pounds add up over time and can increase the chances of developing high blood pressure and high blood sugar. These conditions can set the stage for developing serious health problems including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. If you are pregnant, excess weight may lead to short and long-term health problems for you and your child.
How can you tell if your weight could increase your chances of developing health problems? Knowing two numbers may help you understand your risk: your body mass index (BMI) score and your waist size in inches. The BMI is one way to tell whether you are at a normal weight, are overweight, or have obesity. It measures your weight in relation to your height and provides a score to help place you in a category.
Another important number to know is your waist size in inches. Having too much fat around your waist may increase health risks even more than having fat in other parts of your body. Your health care provider can help determine your BMI and assess your overall health risk for developing disease.
High blood sugar
Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, is a disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal. High blood sugar is a major cause of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, amputation, and blindness. It isn’t clear exactly why people who are overweight are more likely to develop this disease. It may be that being overweight causes cells to change, making them resistant to the hormone insulin. Insulin carries sugar from blood to the cells, where it is used for energy. When a person is insulin resistant, blood sugar cannot be taken up by the cells, resulting in high blood sugar. In addition, the cells that produce insulin must work extra hard to try to keep blood sugar normal. This may cause these cells to gradually fail.
High blood pressure
Blood pressure is how hard your heart has to work to pump blood through your arteries to the rest of your body. High blood pressure (hypertension) usually has no symptoms, but it may cause serious problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. High blood pressure is linked to being overweight and obese in several ways. Having a large body size may increase blood pressure because your heart needs to pump harder to supply blood to all your cells. Excess fat may also damage your kidneys, which help regulate blood pressure.
Pregnancy problems
Pregnant women who are overweight or obese may have an increased risk for developing gestational diabetes, having preeclampsia, and needing a C-section. Babies of overweight or obese mothers are at an increased risk of being born too soon, being stillborn, and having defects of the brain and spinal cord. Excess weight also increases the risks associated with surgery and anesthesia.
Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can also have long-term effects for both mother and child. These effects include that the mother will become overweight or obese after the child is born. Another risk is that the baby may gain too much weight later as a child or as an adult.
Reaching a normal weight before becoming pregnant may reduce your chances of developing weight-related problems. Losing excess weight after delivery may help women reduce their health risks. For example, if a woman developed gestational diabetes, losing weight may lower her risk of developing diabetes later on.
Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is a long-term challenge for people who are overweight. It also is a chance to lower your risk for other serious health problems. With the right treatment and motivation, it’s possible to lose weight. You’ll feel better, look better, and most importantly, lower your risk for long-term disease.
Brittany King is an advanced practice nurse specializing in women’s health. She works alongside Dele Ogunleye, M.D., to provide a full range of obstetric and gynecologic services. She is now offering a new program for weight loss. To find out more, you may contact Brittany at Advanced Women’s Healthcare at 309-808-3068 or www.awhcare.com. The office is located at 2111 East Oakland Avenue (Next to the Jewel-Osco Plaza).