肥胖的五個隱藏危險

超重會以意想不到的方式危害健康

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現在,人們普遍知道,嚴重超重會增加患心臟病、中風和糖尿病的風險,而肥胖——定義為體重至少超過正常上限 20%——正在上升。據估計,到 2030 年,美國將比今天增加 6500 萬肥胖人口,這將導致額外 600 萬例或更多例心臟病和中風,以及另外 800 萬例 2 型糖尿病。許多臨床醫生已經開始看到祖父母比他們的子女和孫子女更健康、更長壽的家庭。


Visualization is courtesy of TheVisualMD.com

As if these alarming figures were not bad enough, studies over the past few years have shown that the obesity epidemic’s true costs extend even further. Research now confirms that excess weight can impinge on mental well-being (exacerbating both depression and Alzheimer’s disease), sexual and reproductive health, and the quality of everyday living—especially as we get older. Scientists believe that perhaps 25 percent of several types of malignancies—including cancer of the colon, kidney and esophagus—are triggered by increasing rates of obesity and physical inactivity.

The consequences, as documented in the images at the right, created by TheVisualMD.com and based on the latest related anatomical data, offer a sobering “anatomical travelogue” of just how far-ranging obesity’s toll on the body can be.

Heartburn: A 2005 study of 450 individuals found that obese adults are two and a half times more likely to experience heartburn compared with people of normal weight. One possible cause: visceral fat may push the stomach higher into the chest.

Labored breathing: Visceral fat, which surrounds internal organs, is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat, which lies under the skin. In this side view, visceral fat presses on the diaphragm from below, which limits breathing by making it harder for the lungs (here shown in green) to expand.

Painful joints: The additional weight of excess pounds places a particular burden on the knees. In this image the arthritic damage (white) triggers pain and a decrease in the knee’s range of motion.

Torso: A cross-sectional view of an obese woman.

Depression: A dozen studies suggest that obesity can be an important cause of depression, possibly because of a combination of physiological factors and social stigma. These neurons, from the cortex of the brain, have shrunk and are misshapen.

Sexual dysfunction: Inflammatory chemicals released by fat cells may damage the branchlike nerves in the penis (above) and attack blood vessels in the clitoris (below), leading to an inability to enjoy sex.

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