Risks of Morbid Obesity

It’s obvious to many people who have lived with morbid obesity for years that the disease has a severe negative impact on quality of life. Because of morbid obesity, you may choose not to participate in certain activities. You may feel that you have limited career choices.

What you may not know is that morbid obesity has been found to affect the quality of your health and the length of your life.

Morbid obesity has been linked to several serious and life-threatening diseases. These co-morbid conditions include type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, acid reflux/GERD, and cancer. Most of these conditions do not develop for years. So many people living with morbid obesity may have one or more of these health issues without even realizing it.

Bariatric surgery may offer you a whole new outlook on health.

  • One study found that gastric bypass surgery reduced the total number of co-morbid conditions of participating patients by 96%.
  • Many surgeons recommended bariatric surgery as a treatment option for type 2 diabetes. In some cases, resolution of type 2 diabetes occurred within days of the surgery.
  • A meta-analysis stated that several studies found that bariatric surgery patients felt better, spent more time doing recreational and physical activities, benefited from enhanced productivity and economic opportunities, and had more self-confidence than they did before surgery.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes was resolved in 47.8% of patients who underwent the gastric banding procedure.

Long-term Complications

Type 2 diabetes can be a lifelong condition. Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly widespread health issue in the U.S. and has serious long-term consequences. You may want to compare bariatric surgery’s high-resolution rates for type 2 diabetes to the long-term effects of the condition.

People with type 2 diabetes are at risk for developing:

  • Heart disease or suffer strokes due to poor circulation
  • Kidney disease and eventually kidney failure, which requires either a kidney transplant or dialysis
  • Nerve damage which can lead to digestive problems, bladder problems, sexual dysfunction, and numbness and tingling
  • Foot problems including blisters, ulcers, and poor circulation, which can lead to amputation
  • Eye complications such as glaucoma, cataracts, and nerve damage, which can lead to blindness

Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure was resolved in 38.4% of patients who underwent the gastric banding procedure.

Long-term Complications of Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure

Heart disease and high blood pressure are related health conditions. High blood pressure indicates that your heart is straining to pump blood throughout your circulatory system and can lead to health disorders such as heart disease.

Heart disease is an umbrella term for several diseases that affect the heart and the circulatory system. Heart disease can be quite serious and fatal. You may want to compare bariatric surgery’s high-resolution rates for heart disease to the long-term effects of these conditions.

People living with morbid obesity are at risk for developing heart disease and high blood pressure, including conditions such as:

  • Coronary artery disease occurs when the coronary arteries are hardened and narrowed by fatty material; there are rarely any signs or symptoms, so many people with this disease have lived with it for years before the first onset of symptoms, such as a “sudden” heart attack
  • Heart attack which occurs when the heart’s blood supply is interrupted and can damage or completely stop the heart
  • Angina which occurs when the heart does not get enough blood and feels like pressure or squeezing in the chest, shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back
  • Arrhythmias which are irregular heartbeats, depending on the type, arrhythmias can lead to death
  • Heart disease including bleeding along artery walls, hardening of the arteries, and heart attack
  • Stroke which is an interruption or blockage of blood to the brain
  • Kidney damage and kidney failure due to damaged blood vessels and which can require a kidney transplant or dialysis
  • Vision loss due to blocked blood vessels to the eye

High Cholesterol

High cholesterol improved in 78.3% of patients who underwent the gastric banding procedure.

Long-term Complications

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in all parts of the body. High cholesterol can be harmful and is associated with serious health conditions. You may want to compare bariatric surgery’s high improvement rates for this condition to the long-term effects of high cholesterol.

People with high cholesterol are at risk for developing:

  • Heart disease including hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which is a principal cause of coronary heart disease, and heart attack
  • Stroke which is an interruption or blockage of blood to the brain

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea was resolved in 94.6% of patients who underwent the gastric banding procedure.

Long-term Complications

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder with symptoms of loud snoring and long pauses in breathing. Often the person with obstructive sleep apnea is unaware of their condition until they’re told by a family member or friend. Obstructive sleep apnea is linked to several serious conditions and experiences. You may want to compare bariatric surgery’s high-resolution rates for this condition to the long-term effects of obstructive sleep apnea.

People with obstructive sleep apnea are at risk for:

  • Heart disease due to low oxygen levels in blood
  • High blood pressure due to low oxygen levels in blood
  • Heart attack which occurs because of low oxygen levels in blood
  • Daytime drowsiness which can lower job performance or lead to accidents such as serious car crashes

Acid Reflux/GERD

Acid Reflux/GERD was resolved in 32.3% of patients who underwent the gastric banding procedure.

Long-term Complications

Acid reflux, also known as GERD, occurs when the valve between the stomach and the esophagus is not working. Stomach acid splashes up into the esophagus, which can damage it and lead to painful conditions and cancer. You may want to compare bariatric surgery’s high-resolution rates for acid reflux to the long-term effects of this condition.

People with acid reflux are at risk for developing:

  • Esophagitis, inflammation of the esophagus, which can cause difficulty swallowing, ulcers, and scarring
  • Barrett’s esophagus which occurs because the lining of the esophagus is damaged by stomach acid and can lead to esophageal cancer
  • Esophageal cancer (adenocarcinoma) is associated with a low survival rate: only 12% of esophageal cancer patients survive for more than five years.

Morbid Obesity and Cancer Risks

Several studies have been conducted to examine the link between morbid obesity and cancer.

In 2001, experts at the National Cancer InstituteÒ concluded that several cancers are associated with obesity:

  • Colon cancer
  • Breast cancer (postmenopausal)
  • Endometrial cancer (lining of the uterus)
  • Kidney cancer
  • Esophageal cancer (adenocarcinoma)

In 2003, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that obesity could account for:

  • 14% of all deaths from cancer in men
  • 20% of all deaths from cancer in women

A Proven Treatment Option

Several clinical studies of bariatric surgery show that surgery improved life expectancy in patients by at least 29 to 89 percent.

A Note on Relative Risk

The charts below refer to “relative risk,” which compares how likely an event is to occur to a person versus another person. The charts show how much more likely a person with morbid obesity is to develop cancer or die from cancer versus a person with a healthy weight.

National Cancer Institute Found People Living with Morbid Obesity Are More Likely to Develop Certain Cancers Than Healthy Weight People

Type of Cancer Women Men
Esophageal cancer (adenocarcinoma) 200% higher relative risk of occurrence 200% higher relative risk of occurrence
Kidney cancer 84% higher relative risk of occurrence 84% higher relative risk of occurrence
Colon cancer No data available Increased risk of occurrence
Breast cancer 50% higher relative risk of occurrence No data available
Uterine cancer 200% to 400% higher relative risk of occurrence N/A

Study in the New England Journal of Medicine Found People Living with Morbid Obesity Had Significantly Higher Death Rates from Cancer Than Healthy Weight People15

Type of Cancer Women Men
All types 62% higher relative risk of death 52% higher relative risk of death
Esophageal cancer (adenocarcinoma) No data available 63% higher relative risk of death
Kidney cancer 475% higher relative risk of death 70% higher relative risk of death
Stomach cancer 8% higher relative risk of death 94% higher relative risk of death
Colorectal cancer 46% higher relative risk of death 84% higher relative risk of death
Liver cancer 68% higher relative risk of death 452% higher relative risk of death
Pancreatic cancer 276% higher relative risk of death 49% higher relative risk of death
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 95% higher relative risk of death 49% higher relative risk of death
Multiple myeloma 44% higher relative risk of death 71% higher relative risk of death
Leukemia Lower relative risk of death 70% higher relative risk of death
Breast cancer 212% higher relative risk of death No data available
Cervical cancer 320% higher relative risk of death N/A
Ovarian cancer 51% higher relative risk of death N/A
Uterine cancer 625% higher relative risk of death N/A
Prostate cancer N/A 34% higher relative risk of death

Cancer and obesity are linked, but there is hope:

  • One recent study that examined the effect of intentional weight loss found that women who experienced intentional weight loss of 20 or more pounds and were not currently overweight had cancer rates at the level of healthy women who never lost weight.
  • Several clinical studies found that bariatric surgery reduced mortality in patients by 29% to 89% when compared to a group of people living with morbid obesity who had not had the surgery.

If you suffer from any of these health problems, weight loss surgery could be the solution. Call us today to schedule your FREE consultation and let us help you on your journey to a healthier life.