As the saying goes, "The whiteness of the skin can hide many imperfections, and the gain of weight can destroy everything". Obviously, excess weight not only damages people's appearance, but also poses a serious threat to their health. Being overweight puts more load on the heart and reduces its pumping efficiency, which in turn interferes with the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system. So, are people who are thinner than overweight individuals effective in reducing their risk of cardiovascular disease? Actually, the answer is no.
According to a new study published on April 22, 2021 in Circulation, a top journal of the American Heart Association, even people with a body mass index (BMI) within the normal range have a fairly high risk of cardiovascular disease if they have too much belly fat. This finding challenges the conventional wisdom about the relationship between weight and cardiovascular health, pointing out that abdominal obesity may be a non-negligible cardiovascular health risk factor, even when weight is within a healthy range.
Obesity increases the burden on the heart in the following ways:
In obese individuals, high levels of body fat can lead to an increase in the accumulation of fat in the blood, which in turn leads to a significant increase in the total amount of blood. In this state, the heart needs more force to complete each contraction to ensure that blood can be pumped efficiently throughout the body. However, long-term overwork can make the heart unbearable and can lead to blood retention within the cardiovascular system and, in extreme cases, severe decline in heart function.
Obesity not only increases the burden on the heart, but is also commonly accompanied by arteriosclerosis and fat deposits in the myocardium. As a result of these factors, the ventricular muscles may compensate for the thickening, but this thickening of the heart muscle becomes less elastic and reduces the amount of blood supplied to the heart muscle cells, further weakening the heart's function.
In addition to this, obesity may also be accompanied by complications such as high blood pressure, abnormal lipid metabolism and increased blood viscosity, which further burdens the heart and may lead to the development of coronary artery disease. Specifically, high blood pressure keeps blood vessels in a state of tension, abnormal lipid metabolism causes the lining of the arteries to accumulate plaque, and increased blood viscosity increases blood flow resistance, all of which increase the workload of the heart.
Therefore, it is important for obese people to be aware of this series of potential threats to the heart and take steps to carry out early lifestyle interventions to mitigate the adverse effects on the heart and thus "reduce the burden on the heart".
"One fat destroys everything"?
Stress on the skeleton and muscles from being overweight: For individuals who are overweight, it is advisable to avoid strenuous exercise in the initial phase to avoid excessive stress on the bones and joints. Try jogging or walking briskly at first. Because being overweight can take a heavy toll on the spine and lower limbs, long-term overload can lead to arthritis, muscle damage or compression of nerves in the spine, causing lower back and back pain and even joint deformities, which can be a challenge for those seeking a healthy body shape.
Being overweight and increased risk of illness: Studies have shown that being overweight is not only harmful to physical health, but can also lead to mental health problems. Obesity is associated with conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea syndrome, depression, etc. The data showed that individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 24 kg/m^2 had a 3 to 4 times and 2 to 3 times the risk of developing diabetes compared to normal weight people, respectively. The risk of hypertension and diabetes is significantly increased in individuals with abdominal obesity with a waist circumference of more than 85 cm for men and 80 cm for women. Obesity may also contribute to abnormal hormone levels and dysbiosis of cells, increasing the risk of cancer. The study also found that obese people had 25% higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders than thin people.
Overweight and decreased fertility: Obesity may interfere with the endocrine system, affecting a woman's menstrual cycle and ovulation, and reducing fertility. Obese women face an increased risk of miscarriage, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and fatty liver during pregnancy, as well as a higher likelihood of difficult birth. Similarly, obesity can also affect a man's sperm quality, which in turn can affect his fertility.