The Dangers of Obesity to Lifespan and Child Health: A Warning That Must Be Taken Seriously

62. Does obesity affect lifespan?

As early as the late 1980s, many scholars in Europe and the United States conducted research on risk factors affecting health in large populations and found that the relationship between weight and mortality was J or U-shaped.

In other words, both underweight and overweight individuals have higher mortality rates, especially the latter.

American scholars' research suggests that the mortality rate is lowest among people who are 10% to 20% below average weight, increases by 40% among people who are 30% to 40% above average weight, and increases by as much as 90% among people who are more than 40% above average weight.

Obesity is an indirect threat to human lifespan.

Obesity can lead to coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and other conditions that can significantly increase the risk of death.

The greater the degree of obesity, the greater the chance of developing these diseases, and therefore the greater the chance of death.

In this sense, the heavier a person is, the shorter their lifespan, just as people say, "the longer the belt, the shorter the lifespan."

Are childhood obesity harmful?

The traditional saying that "a fat son is a lucky man" is being refuted by a set of rigorous scientific data: a report by Swedish experts who tracked 500 obese children pointed out that obese children have an average lifespan 10 years shorter than the average lifespan of the normal population and a mortality rate more than 30% higher than their peers.

Obesity that begins in childhood can easily lead to a series of complications in adulthood, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, and fatty liver. It is a precursor to diseases such as arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, gallstones, and some cancers in adults, and will become one of the major "killers" affecting children's healthy growth.

After revealing the aforementioned shocking facts, the forthcoming first monograph on childhood obesity in my country, "Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity," has prompted its author, Professor Jiao Donghai, a national-level expert with outstanding contributions, to urgently call for strengthening the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

As the living standards of the Chinese people continue to improve, malnutrition is no longer the main factor affecting the healthy growth of children in my country. However, obesity, one of the "diseases of affluence" caused by overnutrition or imbalance, is becoming increasingly common.

There are currently about 9.6 million obese children in my country, and the number is increasing at an average rate of about 1% per year. The incidence rate is significantly higher in urban children than in rural children.

Obesity should be taken very seriously, because it is no longer a question of whether a child is cute or has "good manners".

Therefore, preventing and controlling childhood obesity is an urgent task.

What are the health risks of obesity in women?

Obese women are prone to hypertension, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cholecystitis, and diabetes due to disordered fat metabolism and hyperlipidemia.

Statistics show that obese people are four times more likely to develop diabetes than people of normal weight.

It has been found that obese women often experience sexual dysfunctions, such as infertility or ovulation disorders, and also have a significantly higher incidence of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Furthermore, obese women are more prone to diseases such as endometrial cancer.

According to statistics, among 100 obese women, 43 of those who were more than 20% overweight experienced menstrual abnormalities; among those who were more than 30% overweight, the number of menstrual abnormalities was even higher, with only 13 cases showing normal menstruation.

Obese women are three times more likely to develop pregnancy complications than women of normal weight. The most common pregnancy complications are preeclampsia, diabetes, and urinary tract infection.

In addition, obese women have a higher incidence of post-term pregnancy, longer labor, and significantly higher rates of episiotomy and cesarean section compared to women of normal weight, and their surgical wounds heal poorly after surgery.

Therefore, obese women should identify the cause of their obesity as early as possible, actively seek treatment, and lose weight.

What are the risks of obesity during pregnancy?

Among women with obesity, obesity during pregnancy accounts for about one-third to one-half.

The direct harms of obesity during pregnancy are related to the degree of obesity and the occurrence of pregnancy complications.

According to relevant statistics, about 75% of obese pregnant women experience various complications during childbirth, including abnormal fetal position, premature rupture of membranes, delayed delivery, dystocia, increased rate of cesarean section, excessive postpartum bleeding, and anemia.

In severe cases, obesity increases peripheral vascular resistance, affecting the return of tissue fluid and causing hypertension and edema. In severe cases, it can damage heart and kidney function, leading to proteinuria, shortness of breath, and difficulty lying flat, which are signs of heart and kidney failure. This is called pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome. If not treated in time, it can lead to preeclampsia, such as convulsions and altered consciousness, which can endanger life. It is not only harmful to the mother but also affects the fetus.

Reports indicate that obese pregnant women have a higher rate of macrosomic infant births than non-obese pregnant women, potentially leading to future obesity in the fetus.

Other reports indicate that obese pregnant women have an increased neonatal mortality rate after delivery, and the incidence of poor postpartum milk production in mothers is also higher than in non-obese women.

A study on ovulation rates in menstrual cycles one year postpartum found that the ovulation rate was 35% for obese women and 65% for women of normal weight.

In addition, pregnant women who are obese are more likely to have impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes than those of normal weight.

Therefore, preventing gestational obesity is of great significance in order to ensure the safety of both mother and child and to promote healthy births.