Complications of Obesity

Updated on July 28, 2007

Obesity is like smoking. Smoking the cigarette doesn't kill you right away. It causes a variety of complications that bring you to your doom.

This list is probably going to scare you, and it should. It's long and full of unpleasant things. If you don't get control of your obesity, you could likely end up with one or more of these complications.

High blood pressure: may lead to...

• heart failure, which can cause...

  • arrhythmias

    • changes in heart beat

    • skipping beats

    • fainting

    • light-headedness

    • dizziness

    • chest pain

    • difficulty breathing

    • paleness

    • sweating

    • angina

    • heat attack

    • heart failure

    • stroke

    • death

  • edema / swelling

  • indigestion

  • nausea / vomiting

  • difficulty breathing

  • difficulty sleeping

  • fatigue

  • weakness

  • fainting

  • cough

  • decreased alertness

  • impaired concentration

  • enlarged veins

  • pericarditis (heart lining infection)

  • pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs), which may cause...

    • heart palpitations

    • heart failure

    • heart shock

    • difficulty breathing

    • hemorrhage

    • sudden death

  • pulmonary edema (fluid in lungs), which may cause...

    • difficulty breathing

    • difficulty speaking from lack of air

    • wheezing or gurgling

    • cough

    • restlessness

    • excessive sweating

    • pale skin

    • decreased alertness

  • circulatory collapse (total failure of the heart to function)

  • death

• aneurysms, which can cause...

  • brain hemorrhage (bleeding into the brain)

  • seizures, which can cause...

    • sudden falling / collapse

    • blackout

    • confusion

    • drooling

    • grunting

    • difficulty breathing or ceasing to breath

    • muscle spasms

    • loss of bladder or bowel control

    • uncontrollable eye movements

    • teeth clenching

    • sudden changes in behavior (e.g. sudden anger, sudden laughter, sudden obsession, etc.)

    • staring

    • no movements

    • sudden halt in conscious activity

    • seeing flashes of light

    • hallucinations

    • changes in vision

    • difficulty breathing

    • involuntary actions like chewing, lip smacking, etc.

  • epilepsy

  • stroke

    • weakness

    • paralysis

    • numbness

    • tingling

    • vision changes

    • slurred speech

    • inability to understand speech

    • difficulty reading or writing

    • swallowing difficulties

    • loss of memory

    • vertigo

    • loss of balance

    • loss of coordination

    • personality changes

    • mood changes

    • drowsiness

    • loss of consciousness

    • uncontrollable eye movements

    • muscle spasms

    • reduced ability to take care of yourself

    • aspiration

    • bone fractures

    • pressure sores

    • death

  • death

• artherosclerosis / hardening of the arteries, which can cause...

  • angina

  • heart attack

  • stroke

  • insufficient blood supply to limbs

  • organ damage

  • organ failure

• stroke (which can cause brain damage, paralysis, death)

• kidney failure

• vision changes

• blindness

• death

 Type 2 diabetes / insulin resistance: may lead to...

• high blood pressure and all of its complications

• kidney failure

• glaucoma

• cataracts

• retinopathy

• blindness

• nerve damage

• tingling

• pain

• numbness

• weakness

• nausea

• diarrhea

• constipation

• incontinence

• dizziness

• fainting

• sexual dysfunction

• sweating changes

• poor circulation

• skin ulcers, especially on feet

• skin calluses and cracking, especially on feet

• amputation of limbs

• bacterial infections

• fungal infections

• itching

• brown skin patches

• atherosclerosis

• blisters

• digital sclerosis

• rash

• stomach spasms

• gastroesophageal reflux / heartburn

• death

Gallbladder disease / gallstones: may lead to...

• gallstone pancreatitis

• clogged bile ducts

• pain

• nausea

• indigestion

• jaundice

• death

Fatty liver

High cholesterol: may lead to...

• atherosclerosis

• coronary artery disease

• angina

• heart attack

• stroke (which can cause brain damage, paralysis, death)

• death

Sleep apnea: may lead to...

• sleep deprivation (which can cause confusion, mood swings, loss of motor skills, and drowsiness while awake)

• suffocation while you sleep

Osteoarthritis / the wearing away of cartilage: may lead to...

• joint pain

• inability to move

Cancer: may lead to...

• stroke (which can cause brain damage, paralysis, death)

• organ damage or failure

• death

Sources: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html

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