Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

302 Lifestyle Variables: Smoking and Obesity
Obesity and gallbladder disease Gallstones are
three times more common in people who have
obesity. Lipids and fatty acids in the blood circulation
provide the LIVER with a supply of the material
it needs to manufacture cholesterol, a key ingredient
of BILE. Ironically, rapid weight loss in someone
who has obesity (greater than three pounds per
week) also triggers formation of gallstones.
Obesity and cancer Rates of certain cancers are
significantly higher in people who have obesity.
The correlation is strongest for hormonally driven
cancers such as prostate cancer in men and breast
cancer, OVARIAN CANCER, and ENDOMETRIAL CANCER
(cancer of the UTERUS) in women. Many health
experts believe obesity is a major risk factor for
colorectal cancer, particularly in men, though
studies are less conclusive than for obesity’s correlation
with other cancers.
Obesity as an independent health condition
Aside from its role as a contributing factor to
numerous health conditions, which doctors call
co-morbidity, obesity itself is a disorder with metabolic,
cardiovascular, pulmonary, and musculoskeletal
symptoms. The presence of obesity
alone, setting aside all correlating health conditions,
shortens LIFE EXPECTANCY nearly as much as
cigarette smoking. People who weigh more than
30 percent above healthy body weight are up to
10 times more likely to die prematurely of any
cause. The excessive weight and body mass
stresses all structures of the body, pressuring internal
organs, including the LUNGS, and affecting their
ability to function.
Obesity and Quality of Life
Obesity, notably class 3 (morbid) obesity in which
a person weighs 100 pounds or more above
healthy weight, has a measurably detrimental
effect on QUALITY OF LIFE. This level of obesity presents
challenges for finding clothing, seating on
airplanes, sitting on chairs, riding in cars, navigating
store aisles, and even simply being able to
walk to get around for the activities of daily living.
These challenges commonly result in social isolation
and can be a problem for developing friendships
and relationships.
Health conditions that have developed as a
consequence of obesity may hinder some weight
management efforts, notably physical exercise. It
is important to find activities that are enjoyable
and to persist in them to the extent that they do
not worsen other health conditions. A person who
has painful osteoarthritis, for example, may
choose to walk for 5-minute periods of time four
to six times a day instead of walking for 20 or 30
minutes at a time. The cumulative benefit of the
short periods of exercise are as effective and easier
to accommodate.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Health conditions that limit mobility may interfere
with activities such as grocery shopping,
leading to relapses in EATING HABITS. Alternative
methods to obtain healthful foods might include
hiring a teenage neighbor who can drive to shop
on a regular basis or shopping through the
online services many grocery stores now offer.
For a small fee, such services select the items
requested and deliver them to the home.
See also CHILDHOOD OBESITY; DEPRESSION; DIABETES
PREVENTION; DIET AND HEALTH; EATING DISORDERS; EXER-
CISE AND HEALTH; LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH; WEIGHT LOSS
AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT.