When we put on weight our bodies go through certain changes, our heart has to work harder to pump the blood round our body. Kidneys and liver are both put under pressure to cope with all the extra food we consume and our joints take more strain with every step we take.

If we continue to eat we will become obese, obesity is measured by your Body Mass Index (BMI) which
measures the amount of excess fat that is stored in your body. People become obese with lack of exercise and when the amount of calories taken in is far more than your body requires. Being obese and overweight, in the most extreme cases can cause death, below are the most common health problems brought about by being overweight and obese.

1. Heart Disease: as you put on weight the arteries and veins get clogged with fat, as your heart is basically a pump, it finds it harder and harder to pump the blood through your body putting strain and pressure on your heart to continue working properly. Another problem is that the heart wall becomes thickened which again can cause stroke or even death.

2. Liver Disease: as we eat too much cholesterol this can cause the bile in the liver to harden and produce gallstones. But more worrying is the excess fat in the liver will cause inflammation which could lead to liver cancer or scarring which is untreatable.

3. Muscleskelital Disease: as we put on weight and become obese our joints and muscles suffer, as we walk the cartilage between our bones wears away and the bones start to rub together causing osteoarthritis. Another problem in obesity is gout this is due to the high levels of uric acid in your body.

4. Respiratoary Disease: one of the most affected areas in obesity, sleep apnoea is very common and this will happen every night. Another complaint is asthma. Both these complaints are caused by restriction of the airways.

5. Skin Diseases: stretch marks and cellulite aside, when people get obese they find it harder to clean themselves as thorough as they would like which can lead to unsightly skin infections.

These are just a few complaints that co-exist alongside people who become obese or overweight. Think about your health, try and be positive and if you are concerned about being overweight and what it does to your body then visit your local GP for proper medical advice on how best to cope with obesity.