Nutrition Facts and Health Blog

Obesity is one of the fastest growing medical complications to strike the United States. In fact, nearly 60 million people are overweight, 40 million are obese and 3 million are morbidly obese according to the Get America Fit Foundation. This nationwide problem is not only dangerous for those battling with their weight, but it’s also a direct strain on the economy as medical costs increase to help counteract the draining effects of obesity on the body.
Men are often known for being less inclined to go to the doctor than women. While some may see this more as a stereotype than as a fact, a poll conducted in 2000 by the Commonwealth Fund discovered that men are actually three times more likely to go without a doctor visit all year than women are. This being said, obesity in men can lead to a wide variety of complications that should be addressed and treated by a doctor. If you are a man struggling with obesity, you may want to discuss your risk for the following most common related conditions and make sure you increase the frequency of your normal checkups.
1. Metabolic Disorders
When men gain weight it distributes itself differently in the body than it does for women. While we are all familiar with women lamenting weight gain in their thighs, hips, arms etc. men are more prone to weight gain around their middle. A seemingly harmless “beer belly” actually puts men at a high risk of metabolic problems like diabetes since the fat deposits are close to the liver and other organs.
2. Low Testosterone
Men who develop diabetes are also known to experience sexual function backlash and in some cases even infertility. Being overweight or obese as a man puts you at a 50% higher chance of sub-fertility when compared to men of a healthy BMI. ?Of all men experiencing type 2 diabetes, one in three of them will experience lower testosterone production. This complication cannot only affect fertility, but also cause sexual difficulties like erectile dysfunction. Men who are obese should have their testosterone tested regularly.
3. Heart Disease/Stroke
A study released in February 2011 revealed that obese men have a dramatically elevated risk of dying from a heart attack even if they do not have many of the most commonly known risk factors (high blood pressure, cholesterol etc.). According to the study, Obese middle-aged men have a 60% increased risk of dying form a heart attack than non-obese middle-aged men, even after we cancel out any of the effects of cholesterol, blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors,” said the study author in the article from USA Today.
4. Gallbladder Disease
While statistically women are more likely to suffer from gallbladder disease, overweight/obese men are at risk as well. Typically extreme pain and sometimes nausea and jaundice can accompany gallbladder disease as gallstones containing excessive amounts of cholesterol become lodged in the gallbladder. If untreated in extreme cases the gallbladder may rupture, but when caught early on the gallbladder can be removed with arthroscopic surgery resulting in very few lasting repercussions.
If you suffer from obesity, talk to your doctor about finding a way to get back to a healthy BMI. Even if you are healthy now, as you age these diseases and conditions become more and more likely. With proper treatment, diet and exercise you can begin to lower you odds.

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This is a guest post by : Emily Murray who is a health blogger and contributing writer for KwikMed, the company recently appointed by Watson Pharmaceuticals as the exclusive online distributor for the new morning after pill called Ella.