Dr. Ava Langley

15/02/2025

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15/02/2025

15/02/2025

What are the effects of obesity?
Obesity can affect most areas of the body. It can also increase a person’s risk of serious health conditions. These include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
Experts determine obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or moreTrusted Source. This means obesity occurs when a person’s weight is higher than what healthcare professionals consider healthy for their height.
BMI is not the only indication of obesity. Healthcare professionals may also use a person’s waist-to-hip ratio to determine obesity and the risk of obesity-related conditions.
Several factors can contribute to a person gaining weight and developing obesity. These factors include:
Excess weight from obesity can cause fatty materials to buildup in a person’s arteries. The arteries are the vessels that carry blood to and from the heart. The buildup can cause these vessels to become blocked or damaged, which can lead to a heart attack.

If this buildup also affects the arteries that carry blood to the brain, it can cause a stroke.
Read more about cardiovascular disease.

pulmonary hypertension or high blood pressure in the vessels of the lungs
pulmonary embolism or a blood clot that blocks the blood flow to the lungs
respiratory tract infections
obstructive sleep apnea
asthma
obesity hypoventilation syndrome
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Sleep apnea is commonTrusted Source among people with obesity. It causes a person’s breathing to be irregular or stop completely for certain periods during the night. If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase a person’s risk of other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Digestive system
Obesity can affect the digestive system in various ways. This includes increasing the risk of developing other conditions, includingTrusted Source:
Between 22 and 70% of people with obesity also experience GERD. This compares to the prevalence of approximately 15% in the general population. Researchers believe the increased risk of GERD in those with obesity may be due to excess abdominal fat increasing intra-abdominal pressure and visceral adipose tissue causing esophageal inflammation.

Reproductive system
Researchers connect obesity and reproductive issues in various ways. For instance, the metabolic changes that occur due to obesity may affectTrusted Source both female and male reproduction.

Obesity can cause issues with menstrual cycles and ovulation. It can also lead to a higher risk of complications during pregnancy.

While research is inconclusive, some studies state obesity may cause changes in s***m production and testosterone levels.

Endocrine system
There is a link between obesity and many endocrine and hormone-related conditions. These includeTrusted Source:

hypothyroidism
Cushing’s syndrome
polycystic o***y syndrome (PCOS)
One of the main health risks of obesity is the development of type 2 diabetes. Approximately 8 out of 10 adultsTrusted Source who have type 2 diabetes also have overweight or obesity. High blood sugar levels can lead to other complications, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.

Skin
Obesity can lead to excess layers of subcutaneous fat and increased sweating. The excess fat layers create more skin folds. This can cause moisture to build up in those areas and lead to rashes and friction.

Obesity can also cause or worsen various skin conditions, including:

acanthosis nigricans
stretch marks
skin tags
hirsutism
plantar hyperkeratosis
psoriasis
cellulite
lymphedema
intertrigo
Skeletal and muscular systems
Obesity can affect a person’s bones and muscles. Excess weight can causeTrusted Source extra pressure on the joints and increase the risk of osteoarthritis.

Obesity can also lead toTrusted Source limitations of muscle functionality. This can eventually increase the risk of developing mobility and balance issues.

Some studies also linkTrusted Source obesity to the development of osteoporosis. These studies show a connection between obesity and an increased risk of experiencing bone issues later in life.

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Individuals with severe obesity may be around five times more likely to experience episodes of major depression than those without obesity. Around one-third of those with obesity who had bariatric surgery reported experiencing symptoms of depression before surgery. Approximately half reported a history of depression.

Other mental health issues that people with obesity may experience or may be at higher risk of developing include:

eating disorders
anxiety
substance use disorder
Weight loss can be part of a successful treatment plan for some people with obesity. However, without other treatments for the conditions, such as depression, many people experienced a reoccurrence of symptoms following weight loss.

15/02/2025

We congratulate St. George Private Hospital of Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia, and the following surgeons for receiving initial and renewal accreditation from the Centre of Excellence in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the following surgeons have received initial and renewal accreditation from the Centre of Excellence in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

15/02/2025

Varicose eczema tends to be a long-term problem. However, treatments are available to help keep it under control.

Symptoms of varicose eczema
Varicose eczema on white skin. A red, crusty rash covering part of the lower leg.
Varicose eczema on medium brown skin. A dark brown and purple scaly rash covering part of the lower leg.
Varicose eczema on dark brown skin. A silvery-grey and purple scaly rash covering part of the lower leg.
The affected skin can change colour and become:
itchy and swollen
dry and flaky
scaly, crusty or blistered
On white skin it looks red or brown. On black or brown skin it tends to look dark brown, purple or grey and can sometimes be more difficult to see.

There may be periods when these symptoms improve and periods when they are more severe.

Your legs may become swollen, especially at the end of the day or after long periods of standing. Varicose veins (swollen and enlarged veins) are often visible on the legs.

Some people also have other symptoms, such as:

tender and tight skin that can eventually become hardened (lipodermatosclerosis)
small, white scars (atrophie blanche)
pain
eczema affecting other parts of the body
If varicose eczema is not treated, leg ulcers can develop. These are wounds that form where the skin has become damaged.

varicose veins – swollen and enlarged veins
DVT (deep vein thrombosis) – a blood clot in the veins of your legs
leg ulcers – areas of damaged skin that take several weeks to heal
cellulitis – an infection of the deeper layers of the skin and underlying tissue
surgery or injury to your legs
A GP may also check the pulse in your feet and may do an ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) test to see if compression stockings are suitable for you.

The ABPI test involves comparing blood pressure readings taken from your ankles and upper arms. A significant difference in the readings suggests a problem with the flow of blood in your arteries – in which case, compression stockings may not be safe to use.

Causes of varicose eczema
Varicose eczema is usually caused by increased pressure in the leg veins.

When small valves in the veins stop working properly, it's difficult for blood to be pushed upwards against gravity and it can leak backwards.

This increases the pressure in the veins, which can cause fluid to leak into the surrounding tissue. It's thought that varicose eczema may develop as a result of the immune system reacting to this fluid.

Varicose eczema is more common in people with varicose veins, as these are also often a sign that the leg veins are not working properly.

Some people develop the condition for no obvious reason, although there are some factors that increase the chance of this happening, including:

s*x – varicose eczema is more common in women
obesity – this can increase the pressure in your leg veins
pregnancy – this can also increase the pressure in your leg veins
a family history of venous insufficiency (where the veins in your legs have trouble sending blood back to your heart)
not being able to move for a long period of time – this can affect the circulation of blood in your leg veins
having previously had DVT (deep vein thrombosis) – blood clots that develop in leg veins which can damage the valves in your veins
increasing age – people generally find it harder to move about as they get older, which can affect their circulation

15/02/2025

I was recently at the 26th European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow. One of the over-arching messages throughout the conference thus far has been "the need to use people-first language". This is in line with the RACGP position statement on the prevention and management of obesity, released in February 2019.

Please join me and many others, in advocating for people living with obesity. This might be you, a colleague, a family member or a friend. Remember two-third of the Australian adult population and one-fourth of the school-aged children are overweight or living with obesity. We all know someone with the experience.

Let’s confer the same level of respect to them as we would for people living with diabetes, cancer, arthritis...