20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

charmela — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:30:43 GMT

"Oh just try this diet, or that diet." I'm tired of hearing that. They never work, especially if one has thyroid problems, such as myself. My doctor caused me to gain 35+ lbs. in a few week's time by giving me medication that dimished thyroid function. I haven't been able to lose it, and dieting doesn't work, only starving may take away a few pounds, but how often can I keep that up? I think diets are bogus, carbs, no carbs, no carbs, exercise. Either your body will allow it, or it won't, and the older the person is, the more impossible it is. The more a person diets, the more they gain it back when going off the diet, even if eating more sensibly. We need a healthy body before any of this could work. I just try to eat 3 small meals a day, and 4 if I'm sick with a cold, or something like that. No snacking unless it's fresh carrots, apples, or whatever fresh fruits are in the house at the time. My weight will be what my body wants it to be, and there is nothing else to do about it. I know, because I've tried what seems like everything. I don't eat at McDonalds, or any fast foods. Eating with sense has to help the health - but it won't provide a weight loss miracle. (I wish!!)

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

cutemontanachick — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:49:58 GMT

I agree with Ryree. I had to write an essay for a Critical Thinking class I was in, and wrote on obesity. I was shocked at all the information I came up with and the alarming statistics of obesity. A great book I read was called "Fat Land" - (I don't have my essay or other info with me at this moment). It was a great eye-opener as to when and how HFCS was introduced into the U.S. in the 1970s.

I immediately started reading all labels on groceries I was buying and put many things back. HFCS is in everything! It is extremely damaging, and has been introduced to our country as a cheap way to sweeten all of our foods. MSG is another one of those deadly "excitotoxins" that scares me to death!

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

Kreative Keira — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:04:52 GMT

How come you never hear about poor circulation as a sickness? Most of these illnesses can probably be linked to poor circulation. Ever since I could remember I had cold hands and feet and I never really thought much of it, but then I came to Japan and I found out that I had hiesho, which is basically cold hands and feet caused by poor circulation. Tv shows here often give tips on how to stay warm in the winter and increase blood flow, etc. Poor circulation means waste builds up in your blood, dirty blood means your cells don't get the proper nutrition they need and that affects every function in your whole body which leads to diseases. Actually, it is said that, hiesho and dirty blood are the mother of all illness (I mean that illness stem from poor circulation).

I read this book in Japanese 'Warming up your body cures illnesses' (karadawo atameruto byouki ha kanarazu naoru' (I believe). And it explained how body temperature is so important and us busy modern people use air conditioners, drink lots of cold water, eat lots of food that cools your body, etc. And in doing so, our body temperature often is lower than 98.6 degrees, which just invites sickness. Even when it comes to cancer, warming up your body by certain methods helps to get rid of cancer without harming any healthy cells.

I FINALLY fixed my poor circulation !! (to my surprise) I did it by taking a long warm, but not hot bath every night and sweating, drinking hot tea with raw grated ginger, not drinking any cold beverages, wearing thicker clothing, of course avoiding air conditioning as much as possible, and staying away from beverages and foods that cool your body such as coffee, most fruits, or basically eating foods that originate from a country that is North of where you live. And in fixing my poor circulation, I've lost weight by improving my metabolism, and my skin has become fresher and younger looking, and don't make anybody mad by touching them with my cold hands anymore!

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

September — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:03:38 GMT

"(Soyfoods) are not nutrients. They are drugs."

Dr. L. White, Honolulu Aging Study.

How could anyone get away with this?

The answer is simple, given the soy industry is one of the world's most wealthy and powerful multi-billion dollar industries...

The result is an industry that will systematically steamroll anybody that dares suggest there may be problems with the darling soy. When we first questioned the safety of soy, a representative of Protein Technologies told us that they had:

"...teams of lawyers to crush dissenters, could buy scientists to give evidence, owned television channels and newspapers, could divert medical schools and could even influence governments..."

This boast has proven all too true, and you'll be shocked to learn that much of what you've read about soy is nothing but a con...

"Among the Hawaii "study's" conclusions: that tofu accelerates brain weight loss in aging users, that the more soy you use the more it impacts your mental abilities, that soy acts like a drug, not a food." - True Health, the magazine of Carotec Inc., Naples, Florida. May/June 2004.

www.soyonlineservice.co.nz

Extremely wealthy and powerful, the soy industry are allowed to destroy the health and lives of millions.

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

September — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:57:30 GMT

SOY DAMAGES THYROID CAUSING WEIGHT GAIN

I consumed soy products for many years deceived into believing soy was a health food. When I had insurance I went to the doctor - the test came back negative for hypothyroidism. Much later, I discovered it is typical for people with hypothyroidism to get a negative result. Since then my symptoms have worsened.

www.soyonlineservice.co.nz

The truth about Soy.

Have you ever wondered about soy? It's promoted as the miracle food that will feed the world while at the same time prevent and cure all manner of diseases.

But what if all you've read about soy is nothing but a multi-million dollar marketing strategy based on scanty facts, half-truths and lies?

Most people remain unaware that soy is known to contain an array of potent chemical toxins. The modern manufacturing processes of high-profit industries make no effort to remove these potent toxins. High levels of phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines are all present in soy products.

Phytoestrogens that disrupt endocrine function and are potent antithyroid agents are present in vast quantities in soy, including the potentially devastating isoflavone Genistein. Infants exclusively fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula, the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula, as has the underdevelopment of males. Infant soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.

Soy is linked to infertility, breast cancer, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, and many other disorders.

when Soy is added to our food supply. Soy contains the scientifically documented carcinogenic and DNA damaging and chromosome damaging natural chemicals genistein and daidzein." - True Health, the magazine of Carotec Inc., Naples, Florida. May/June 2004.

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

webwitch6 — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:47:19 GMT

My family members have all suffered with these problems mentioned and most have died from several combinations of them. Only one was obese. The rest were "normal" weight.

I am talking about 34 people from my family, not just one or two. How can these"facts" be correct in the article?

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

Heavy Person — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:30:43 GMT

Dr. Marcola,

Let us get real here, I'm a heavy woman or you may call it fat. I'm retired have been heavy most of my life, I was on the swim team when I was in high school looking very good in my swim suit at 150 LBS. I rode and showed horses and look good in my cloths at 195, and now I'm over 200 at 63, no high blood pressure, no diabetes, nothing, just nerve damage in my back from a bad horse accident years ago. I'm so tired of the news and health articles on fat people, I can tell you a lot of people that are thin that has just as many problem as heavy people and it is not alway the way the eat. I eat heathy and I will always be heavy, I have starved my self so may times because people like you say I should be thin and my body alway goes back to 200 unless I eat 500 to 800 calories, I have tried every potion on the market and all they did was empty my bank account. I do have thyroid problems and Fibro Myalgia from the time I was 30 but other than that I have been healthy. I think the reason you and other people try and scare all the fat people is to sell products that you say will help them be skinny, when I see all the people going to the doctors that are skinny, bent over walking with a cane, taking tons of pills as I walk by them to get my yearly thyroid test I wonder why you pick on heavy people. My husband loves me, I have beautiful cloths, I raise and show my dogs and I don't think all heavy people run around depressed. I hope to see someday they stop picking on heavy people, the media is full of it and that is depressing. Start picking on bold people or thin people or people that use canes so they will not fall, or people that like sports and how they are all going to get sick from eating those hot dogs and beer but stop with the fat thing, it only makes it worse, people are spending there entire saving on pills, books, powers and I have plenty to sell back to you that does not work.

Heavy Person

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

Pythonesk — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:48:54 GMT

Ok, I definitely have to take issue with this. What idiot wrote this article and how come Mercola publishes it without picking it apart? Is he on vacation or something!??!?!

I happen to be a sufferer of #6 Polycystic ovarian syndrome, and it is NOT caused by being overweight! No one actually knows what causes it, but a SYMPTOM of PCOS is obesity and, especially around the middle. PCOS affects about 10% of the women in this country and, as a syndrome, has a list of symptoms as long as my arm. Some of the others are: excess facial hair, excess testosterone production, skin tags, insulin resistance, infertility, skin pigmentation problems, poor memory, insomnia, etc... I got my first skin tags when I was 9 or 10 years old and I certainly wasn't obese!

Also, #7 GERD, may be very common in overweight people, but it is caused by eating too many carbs. If you suffer from GERD just give a low-carb diet a try and see if it doesn't rectify itself.

#8, Fatty Liver Disease - This is just nuts. Who wrote this article?!?! Fatty liver disease is NOT caused by obesity. It's caused by consuming too much high-fructose corn syrup. Sheesh!

"6. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition in which cysts develop in your ovaries. These can burst, causing even further problems.

7. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease happens when stomach acid and juices flow from your stomach back up into your esophagus. It is common in overweight people.

8. Fatty liver disease is a reversible condition in which large pockets of fat accumulate in liver cells."

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

LoriSmi — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:33:06 GMT

Continued:

13)The cause of lymphedema is fundamentally unknown, but there are identifiable circumstances associated with the onset of the condition. Primary [inborn] lymphedema can be present at birth (congenital), can occur during adolescence (Milroy's), or can occur after age 35. Secondary [acquired] Lymphedema can triggered in an otherwise lymphedema-free person by surgery/radiation therapy for cancer, a traumatic injury, or an infection. Secondary lymphedema is far more common than primary. www.remarxservices.com/.../lymphedema_causes.html

14)Cellulitis occurs when one or more types of bacteria enter through a crack or break in your skin. The two most common types of bacteria that are causes of cellulitis are streptococcus and staphylococcus. The incidence of a more serious staphylococcus infection called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is increasing

www.mayoclinic.com/.../DSECTION=causes

15) Stroke is caused by a copper-deficiency.

16)Pickwickian Syndrome: The several conditions often associated with obstructive sleep apnea include obesity and a short thick neck, and reduction in muscle tone of the soft palate, the uvula (the small, conical, fleshy tissue hanging from the center of the soft palate), and the pharynx. The upper airway may be narrowed by enlarged tonsils or adenoids, a deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, or congenital abnormalities. Even at high altitudes sleep disruption may occur because of low oxygen concentration.

17)Depression: www.allaboutdepression.com/cau_01.html, Please notice that weight is not mentioned as a factor!

18)Osteo-Arthritis is most often caused by a lack of magnesium and calcium. Gelatin can also help.

19)Gout: en.wikipedia.org/.../Gout, Notice obesity is not the major cause.

20)Gallbladder: One can do a gallbladder cleanse once a year to avoid getting gallstones!

There!!! So much for obesity being the (only) cause of disease!

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

LoriSmi — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:17:15 GMT

This is another one of those ridiculous articles that have no factual basis and is meant to scare people.

1)Diabetes is caused by too many refned carbs and a lack of Chromium and Vanadium. Type II Diabets is completely reversible with diet and the addition of the two minerals above.

2)Cancer is found in everyone from newborns to the elderly, the skinny to the obese. Cancer can be controlled by keeping the body alkaline, adding selenium to the diet, and avoiding triggers such assmoking and radiation exposure.

3)Congestive Heart Failure is most likely a lack of selenium, calcium, and magnesium.

4)Enlarged heart is often caused by overweight, but also genetics. Again~selenium for optimal heart health.

5)Pulmonary Embolism can be caused by many factors~not just obesity.

6)Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is usually a hormonal problem caused by too much estrogen and not enough progesterone.

7)Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease: This is commonly due to transient or permanent changes in the barrier between the esophagus and the stomach. This can be due to incompetence of the cardia, transient cardia relaxation, impaired expulsion of gastric reflux from the esophagus, or a hiatus hernia.

If the reflux reaches the throat, it is called laryngopharyngeal reflux disease. (Wikipedia)

8) Fatty Liver is caused by many things and losing weight can helo, but not all patients are overweight!

9)Hernias happen to people of all ages and sizes, including newborns!

10)Erectile Dysfunction is most often caused by too low of testosterone levels or pharmaceutical meds.

11) Urinary Incontinence can be avoided with Pelvic Floor Exercises (Kegel), or tacking up a fallen bladder. Most women who get this have had multiple children.

12)Renal Failure: Most common causes are diabetes and high blood pressure. These causes can be avoided by adding vanadium and Chromium to the diet, eliminating simple carbs, and adding selenium, calcium, and magnesium to the diet, along with raw garlic.

contin:

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

David VanOsdol — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:36:37 GMT

Many of these diseases on the list are directly related to Acidic waste in the body although it is rarely spoken of in the medical community.

The body protects its vital organs by storing away toxic/acidic waste in fat cells. The more toxic the body becomes, the more fat cells are needed to keep the toxins from overloading our systems that must function properly for us to stay alive.

When the toxins are removed from the body, the fat cells can be released also. They are like vaults to store the toxins so the body can continue to live.

Uric acid collects in the joints and connective tissue blood and even the brain and when viewed under a microscope it looks like ground glass. I suffered from Swelling in my hands, extreme pain in my joints and hard deposits forming on my knuckles. This had been getting progressively worse for 5 years.

I started drinking Alkaline water the Pain and Swelling was gone the next day and the bumps were gone within 30 days. You can Google Whole Life Water for more information about alkaline water.

Another benefit of drinking the alkaline water has been complete elimination of Psoriasis on my scalp that has been a chronic problem for many years.

Most people don't realize that the soft drinks and sports drinks they are drinking instead of water are about 2.5PH. Since the PH Scale is a logarithmic scale with each point being a factor of 10, that would make pop and sports drinks 50,000 times more acidic than 7.0PH which is neutral.

Our blood must maintain approximately 7.365PH (slightly alkaline) or we will die. One of the main sources for the body to get alkalinity is the bones. Could Acidic Toxicity be the cause of Osteoporosis?

You can also Google "Dr Otto Warburg" a German Bio Chemist whose research in the 1920s determined that most disease was caused by acidic waste in the body. He won the Nobel Prize for his research in the 1930s. Doctors I have talked to have never heard of Dr Warburg.

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

Forget it — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:12:14 GMT

Correction to Alan above: Sept., 2008, not 2005, I weigh 163. July, 2008, I had my annual physical and was told by my Dr. that I am in excellent health.

Alan

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

Forget it — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:33:33 GMT

In March of 2005, I weighed 205 lbs. My Dr. told me to lose weight. By May, I had lost 29lbs. I now, Sept. 2005, weigh 163. I lost the weight simply by ceasing the eating of snacks between meals. July, I had my annual physical and was told by my doctor that I am in excellent health. I am 81 years old.

Alan

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

Islander — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:04:04 GMT

A website whose heading includes the words "Healthy food can make you ill" immediately arouses my suspicions. (For one thing, their editor's not very literate; it's "healthful"). Notice the weasel word "can" as well; these are "20 diseases or conditions that CAN be attributed to obesity." Skimming through the list, it's apparent to me that many, if not most, of these conditions are common among people of normal weight...so although they CAN be attributed to obesity, there is not necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship. One condition that can definitely be attributed to obesity is deterioration of the weight-bearing joints like knees and hips - a condition that the article fails to mention.

I'm as irritated by scare articles like this as I am about the articles that attempt to make excuses for fatties. Obesity is a complex topic that incorporates diet choices, portion size, stress and emotional eating, and cultural norms. Americans as a nation need to make some profound changes in our approach to food and health. Instead, we seem to be tending toward overweight as the norm...and spreading our Western food habits to the rest of the once-healthy world.

re: 20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight

bpfsa — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:08:48 GMT

That's a very useful list of diseases and conditions that are either caused or made worse by obesity. The list, though, is merely the tip of the iceberg. An even longer list of the health dangers of obesity, still admitting that it is not at all comprehensive, can be found at:

www.dietwords.com/obesity_dangers.shtml

It lists 38 diseases and conditions, many of which are then further divided into related diseases. Cancer, for instance, is listed as just one of the 38, though it then makes specific mention of ten different cancers known to be obesity related.

Heart disease is also listed as just one of the 38, though then broken down into eight specific heart related diseases.

Same, too, for many other diseases, making for a very, very long list of health dangers of being overweight or obese.