Obesity

The Oxford Dictionary defines Obesity as

                                                 ‘The state of grossly fat or overweight’

 Studies have shown that Australia is considered a top contender amongst other countries with a significant amount of people suffering from Obesity  14 Million Australians are overweight or obese  80% of Australians are predicted to be obese by 2025 based on the current trends.  Obesity is the main cause of premature death and illness in Australia.  It is predicted that obesity will cause shorter life expectancy in future children if it is not controlled.  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have a higher risk of being obese.
Obesity has a significant negative impact on a persons health. Apart from mental health issues such as depression and low self-esteem, there are many deadly diseases that come along with the gain of excess fat. A range of diseases such as Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease, joint problems, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and High Blood Pressure to name a few, are commonly linked with Obesity.
Obesity increases the risk of Cancer. For women suffering from obesity, these can be breast cancers, colon cancer, gallbladder and uterus cancers. Colon and Prostrate cancer is a major health risk in obese men. Excess fat causes strain on the heart which in turn causes it to pump excess blood into the artery walls resulting in High Blood Pressure. High blood pressure increases the heart rate and decreases appropriate amount of blood flow.
High blood pressure also contributes to respiratory problems as the extra weight puts pressure against the chest and lungs causing an obese person unable to properly breathe. The lack of oxygen will also cause a person to occasionally stop breathing during sleep leading to Sleep Apnea. With the extra weight, the joints, most commonly the knees and hips of an obese person is placed under extreme stress, thus causing problems such as Osteoarthritis. Fat is also transported into the arteries causing them to block and even harden in people suffering from Obesity. Blocked arteries can equate to conical arteries, less blood flow to the heart and even blood clots. In these cases, it is likely for them to be diagnosed with heart diseases such as Coronary Heart Disease or Atherosclerosis, Angina, stroke or heart attack.
 Diabetes is the most common disease for those suffering with Obesity. 80-95% of those people who are diagnosed with Diabetes suffer from Type 2 Diabetes.  Diabetes occurs when the body stops producing a sufficient amount of insulin. Insulin is a hormone the body needs to control blood sugar levels.  Fat cells contain a protein called pigment epithelium- derived factor (PEDF) and resistin which both together, desensitizes the insulin in the liver and muscles and then causes the body to resist the insulin when it enters into the bloodstream.  The resistance of insulin is increased in people with excess fat as it forces the pancreas to generate additional insulin. This process ultimately causes the pancreas to work overtime thus gradually ending the generation of insulin resulting in Type 2 Diabetes.