Implications of Obesity
There is a strong correlation between a high BMI and an increased level of morbidity. The reality is that obesity is highly disabling and can lead to premature mortality. Obese individuals are 80 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than people of normal weight, and conditions such as this are referred to as ‘co-morbidities’ which are just as dangerous to a person’s life. The most common of these conditions linked to increased weight gain are diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis and Metabolic Syndrome X. Every year in the UK 30,000 people die from being obese (6% of all UK deaths) and people’s life expectancies can be shortened by up to 9 years (DOH website)
Medical Complications of Obesity
The implications of obesity are not just significant on an individual, but also a national level. Treating the complications associated with obesity in 2007 was estimated at £4.2 billion for the NHS. The economic costs indirectly attributable to obesity (e.g. as a result of days off sick) may be at a similar figure. This is partly why the government has highlighted the need to act swiftly to reverse the trend of rising obesity levels.
At Streamline Surgical we look to educate our patients on the realities of obesity and what this really means for them.
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