Why is it considered unhealthy if someone is overweight even if all their blood tests, blood pressure, etc. all come back at healthy levels?

733 views

Assumimg that being overweight is due to fat, not muscle.

In: 1317

22 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Assuming there’s lots of extra fat and all tests are still good, and that’s a big assumption, you still have at least three problems.

#1 The joints were not designed for all that weight. Knees and back will be the first problems. After that it could be anything. There are a million tiny muscles designed to keep joints aligned, they will be overstressed. The cartilage did not get thicker when you got bigger. The cross section of your bones did not increase. Your tendons did not gain any more leverage. Your skeleton is not in a position to adapt.

#2 Your heart will get bigger, but will not keep up. It has to supply a lot more tissue, pump through a lot more blood vessels. It will be strained. The same is true of other organs, but the heart is likely going to be the first thing to complain. If you try to blow water through a straw you can make it shoot out the other end, try it with a garden hose and you get nothing. Longer tubes require more pressure, similar to Ohm’s Law. Blood pressure will go up.

#3 Depending on your ~~gender~~ sex and age fat will accumulate in different places, but a lot of it will be in the belly. This gets in the way of the mechanical operation of the small and large intestines, at least. More diarrhea, more constipation, more flatulence. Things will be increasingly inefficient, you can run short of vitamins, get dehydrated more easily.

#4 Your lungs are now supplying oxygen to a greater mass of cells. They will get bigger, but google up some x-rays of overweight people: like the heart they will not keep up. You will get winded easily.

#5 Exercise becomes more difficult, so you don’t get enough.

#6 Getting good quality sleep becomes more difficult, you won’t get enough.

You are viewing 1 out of 22 answers, click here to view all answers.