Obesity has been officially classified as a disease by the American Medical Association for a number of years and like any disease, there are related health issues caused by it. Some of the issues can be prevented if obesity treated early, others can be genetic or geographical and others can be relived once weight is at a healthy level.
Joint pain
Joint pain is one of the most common weight related issues in our weight loss program. Often, we treat patients that are in the process of hip or knee replacement. Our patients have to lose a certain amount of weight before orthopedic surgery can take place. After Lap-Band surgery, patients experience less joint pain and may even post-pone joint replacement surgery. Our bones and joints are not designed to support an extra 50 or 100 pounds. The pressure of extra weight is 3x normal with obesity; any fluctuation can stress or relieve pain. Weight loss may not revert joint damage but it can improve the level of pain and help with better results with joint placement. Ask your orthopedic surgeon if weight loss with Lap-Band Surgery can aid your joint-pain.
Sleeping issues
Sleep is very vital to health. Sleep apnea is very common in overweight and obese people. Apnea causes you to stop breathing for short periods. Sleep apnea affects your memory, causes headaches, fatigue, irritable and is dangerous. Sleep apnea can be cured or improved with weight loss.
Breathing problems
Shortness of breath can cause several other health relate issues, such as asthma, heart disease, sleep apnea, anxiety. Difficulty breathing and shortness of breath are early indications of health issues. Excess weight and obesity can increase your symptoms of shortness of breath. Check with your doctor to determine if your breathing problems are related to your weight, if so, ask for options and how the Lap-Band system for weight loss might help you.
High blood pressure
Hypertension is a serious issue. It is common in patients that are overweight and obese. High blood pressure leads to a number of heart related problems and can lead to a heart attacks and long term damage to your heart. Due to the amount of work your heart has to perform when you are overweight, the force of blood being pushed into your arteries is very high. Overworking the heart muscle causes the increase in blood pressure which is a risk for developing hypertension. Regular checkups can keep track of your pressure progress and if there is an increase in weight and blood pressure, ask your doctor for ways to lower it and if weight loss can help.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a complication caused by obesity or being overweight.. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 is very preventable and even reversible. However, complications from diabetes left untreated can lead to serious issues like kidney disease, sight problems, loss of vision, amputation and early death. Lap-Band surgery has been known to improve diabetes and can prevent the further development of diabetes in patients. Learn more about the Lap-Band System here.
Obesity and being overweight has a lot of correlation to serious weight issues. Keep track of your weight and BMI to prevent further development of. Check with your doctor if you have some of these issues and ask if they are related to your weight. Your doctor should be able to guide you and help you with weight loss and nutritional options.
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