Adult Weight Management
Why should I bother about my weight?
Being overweight or obese is not just about how you look. Carrying too much weight can
severely impact on your health and well-being. It can affect nearly every part of your body.
From day to day you may find that you:








Feel tired a lot and feel you have little energy
Get short of breath when moving about
Sweat a lot more compared to others
Develop skin irritations
Don’t sleep well
Get complaints that you snore
Feel your clothes uncomfortable
Have pains in your back or joints which affect you moving about
Weighing too much can also increase your risk for developing many health problems.
You may be at risk of:
Type 2 Diabetes
This is a condition where blood sugar levels are above normal and can be a high risk for
heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Carrying too much weight is a major risk factor for
developing this type of diabetes.
Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke
Coronary heart disease means that the heart and blood circulation are not working properly.
If you have coronary heart disease you may suffer from a heart attack, chest pain (angina),
congestive heart failure or abnormal heart rhythm. In a stroke, blood and oxygen do not flow
normally to the brain, possibly causing paralysis or death.
If you are overweight, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure, high levels of
blood fats (triglycerides) and LDL cholesterol (a fatty substance often referred to as “bad”
cholesterol) and low levels of HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol). These are all risk factors
for heart disease and stroke.
Cancer
There is a link between carrying too much weight and an increased risk of developing
leukaemia, cancer of the breast, gall-bladder, ovaries, pancreas, bowel, oesophagus,
endometrium and kidney cells.
Sleep Apnoea
This is a condition where a person stops breathing for short periods throughout the night. If
you have sleep apnoea you may feel sleepy during the day. Being overweight means you
may have more fat stored around your neck which can make the airway smaller. This can
make breathing difficult, causing you to snore, or, stop breathing altogether.
Osteoarthritis
This is a joint disorder where the bone and protective tissues wear away. It most often
affects joints in the lower back, hips and knees. Extra weight can place extra pressure on
these joints causing them to wear away.
Fatty Liver Disease
This is caused by a build up of fat in the live cells which causes injury and inflammation to
the liver. It can lead to cirrhosis or even liver failure. It is like alcoholic liver damage but isn’t
caused by alcohol and can occur in people who drink little or no alcohol. Fatty liver disease
is usually seen in people who are overweight or obese.
Pregnancy Complications
Being overweight or obese during pregnancy can mean that you have a greater risk of
developing health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, blood clots and
infections. It can also mean there is a greater risk of health problems for your baby.