Health Risks

Obesity is measured by your Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measurement defined as an individual’s body mass divided by the square of your height.  This measure indicates if you are underweight, normal, obese or morbidly obese.

If you are obese, severely obese or morbidly obese you may have a shorter life expectancy compared to people of normal weight. There is a higher risk of type 2 diabetes; high blood pressure; osteoarthritis; gall bladder problems; and certain types of cancer; digestive disorders such as GORD; fertility problems; depression; sleep apnea; asthma and urinary incontinence.

People who are obese may also feel isolated from social activities due to negative self image, depression and a feeling of discrimination.

Daily living activities may be harder as the person may tire quickly and moving the body may be difficult (ie walking, picking things up, sweeping, hanging up washing). Being obese can make it harder to travel on public transport and the person may find the idea of going out very depressing. Personal hygiene may also suffer.