During the last half of my work as a physician, my practice was focused on the conservative management of spine pain and injuries, though I did treat a number of general muscle, ligament, bone, and joint issues as well.
Though I didn’t keep a formal record, thinking back and estimating conservatively, I’d venture that at least 75-80% of the individuals I interviewed in exam rooms and later examined were above their ideal body weight. (Clearly there’s a bit of selection bias at play in that number, as people above their ideal body weight tend to suffer more musculoskeletal injuries and degenerative problems.)
By far and away, the most common response from patients when queried about their body weight history ran something like this….
I know I’m overweight, Doc, but I’m in a lot better shape than I look…
Many of these folks were amateur athletes, weekend warriors, hikers, hunters, gym rats, and many were employed in physically demanding work environments as well; yet some arguing how fit they were easily met the criteria to be labeled as obese.
[Along those same lines, I’ve just watched a series of video interviews featuring Dr. Phil Maffetone, who noted several times how shocked he was to see how many amateur runners competing in half and full marathons he’d attended recently were clearly overweight.]
Then, as now, it’s brutally clear that excess body fat isn’t anyone’s friend.
The list of problems induced by, frankly caused by, or worsened by excess body fat is long and daunting:
- Premature and severe joint degeneration and arthritis
- Heart disease
- T2DM
- Hypertension
- Various lipid disorders
- Cerebrovascular disease (stroke)
- Liver and Gallbladder diseases such as Fatty Liver Disease
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Sleep Apnea and other respiratory issues
- Menstrual abnormalities
- Infertility
- PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Some types of Cancer (endometrial, breast, colon, renal, gallbladder, hepatic)
- Lymphedema
- Higher All-Cause Mortality
- Pyschosocial issues
- Overall lower functional life quality
The list is easily made longer (if you want to split a few hairs and nitpick specific diagnoses), but again the point is clear – excess body fat isn’t your friend, and will eventually contribute to issues that severely impact your ability to function, which is what life is all about.
Take heart, no matter what your health status now, there are ways to eat and exercise your way to a fuller, more productive life.
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