When you are obese, you have to deal with not liking what you see in the mirror. It’s hard to find clothes. Sometimes you can’t even fit into an airplane seat. These are actually the least of your problems. What’s more worrisome is that obesity comes with some serious health risks.

If you weigh above your average ideal weight by 40 to 75 pounds you are under the category of being obese. Weigh above your ideal weight by 100 pounds then you are considered morbidly obese.

Obese people haul much more weight than the human body should carry, putting extra pressure on joints, bones and muscles. Being 50 pounds overweight is like carrying a 50-pound sack the entire day. That’s a lot of burden for any human frame.

The joints are what carries the brunt of all this extra weight. And these happen to be the most delicate parts of our frames. Hips and ankles are at risk, but most especially the knees. The knee joints have to support majority of our body weight.

Joints are naturally our bodies weakest spots because it is here where separate bone pieces come together. The knees are at particular risk for an obese person. The knee is a very complex joint that faces wear and tear with every single step we take.

Obesity, puts much more pressure on the knees than usual. If you are overweight, every step puts twice, triple, sometimes four times the normal pressure on those joints - wearing them out prematurely.

Hips joints and ankles are also at risk, But usually pain and injuries among the obese start manifesting on the knees. Not surprising, since the knees carry a big part of our body weight throughout our walking and standing.

Aside from the extra weight on the frame and joints, all that extra weight puts pressure on the bodys systems too. First of all, large amounts of body fat dont just show up on the outside. Fat tissue can form internally around organs.

Large amounts of body fat can actually crowd internal organs and put pressure against them. This pressure can cause the organs to start working differently, and can interfere with normal bodily functions.

Extra weight also has the tendency to increase blood pressure and strain the heart - also increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack and other kinds of heart disease.

Obesity also reflects a poor diet that is high on calories from unhealthy foods. Consuming too much sugar and processed foods can lead to diabetes. And the diabetes can lead to damaging blood vessels, nerves and eyes.

Poor circulation due to diabetes can even lead to losing one’s eyesight or losing an arm or a leg! But don’t worry, even the already obese can avoid or overturn these negative health effects.

The good news is that once an obese person starts losing weight, diabetes and other conditions can be reversed.

You will really need to get started on eating right and get moving on an exercise program. It’s been done. You can overcome obesity too!

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