Obesity rarely occurs in a bubble. While some people may be obese and have no serious co-existing medical conditions, they are the exception. As the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., obesity is a serious public health concern with far-reaching implications and reams of studies have linked it with more than 200 chronic diseases. Here are a few:

Heart Disease

Carrying around excess amounts of weight can put pressure on the heart, forcing it to work harder to send blood throughout the body. Individuals who are overweight or have obesity also tend to have conditions that independently raise the risk for heart disease, such as elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Type 2 Diabetes

In this increasingly common condition, a person’s blood sugar levels become chronically elevated. Up to 90% of adults with type 2 diabetes carry extra weight or have obesity, perhaps because excess weight causes cells to become more resistant to a hormone called insulin, which is responsible for ferrying sugar from blood to muscle and fat cells, where it can be used for energy. With insulin resistance, sugar remains in the blood for an inappropriate amount of time, creating inflammation. Complications of high blood sugar include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, amputation, and blindness.

Depression

The psychological impact of obesity may contribute to depression, especially in women. In an Australian study, researchers compared the data of more than 48,000 people with depression with data of nearly 300,000 without it. They found that individuals who had obesity were 45% more likely to develop depression compared with those who had a healthy Body Mass Index. (Body Mass Index is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters.) The link may be due to genetic variations, the social stigma of carrying extra weight, or other factors.

Cancer

Up to a staggering 40% of all cancers are linked to obesity. Doctors have found connections between obesity and these cancers:

Colon and rectum

Breast (specifically, in post-menopausal women)

Esophagus

Gall bladder

Kidney

Liver

Ovarian

Pancreas

Thyroid

Cancer happens when cells in a part of the body grow abnormally or in an out-of-control manner. We don’t know exactly why obesity—or even just carrying extra weight—seems to drive cancer rates, but one theory is that fat cells may release hormones that impact this abnormal cell growth. Poor eating habits and/or a lack of physical activity also fuels cancer risk.

Premature Death

According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity, people who have obesity live 5.6 to 7.6 fewer years than healthy-weight people. Those who have severe obesity can expect to live 8.1 to 10.3 years less.

…And More

Sleep disturbances and acid reflux, along with low back pain, arthritis, and other complications caused by excessive stress being placed on the bones and joints, are also caused by obesity.

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