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Women's Health

Extra Pounds Is your health at risk? Is so, act now. By Dr. Afshan HameedPublished: August, 2006

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Is your health at risk? Is so, act now Being overweight poses concerns beyond your appearance. Distinct health problems are linked to extra pounds, even for women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, and especially during their childbearing years. First, here are a few statistics. More than 60% of adult women in the U.S. are overweight, and nearly 20% are obese. What’s more, the prevalence of obesity among American women has more than doubled in the last two decades. If your body mass index (BMI), a score based on your height and weight, is 30 or more, you are obese; 25-30 is overweight; 18.5-25 is optimum; and less than 18.5 is underweight. You can determine how well your body measures up by consulting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov. Along with the social and emotional costs of excess weight are massive health issues, including a direct association between excessive body weight and premature death. Each extra pound reduces your life expectancy and your quality of life. Health impact Excess weight affects every system of the body, especially your heart. The risk of chronic or fatal diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cancer increases. Granted, many of these problems may not surface until a woman is in her mid- or later life, but the foundation for illness is laid in her 20s and 30s with poor nutritional habits and inadequate exercise. If you are overweight, you are prone to insulin resistance, the precursor of diabetes – a destructive, degenerative disease that can lead to heart and kidney disease, amputation and blindness. Higher incidences of breast and endometrial cancers have been reported in the overweight. This is due to increased levels of estrogen, which is produced in fat cells. Increased rates of gallbladder disease have also been linked to excess weight. Ironically, even though bone density is elevated in women who have been heavy all their lives – perhaps the only health benefit of extra pounds – osteoarthritis is four times more prevalent in obese women than in women of optimal weight. Problems with conception and pregnancy  Overweight women tend to suffer from infertility issues. They ovulate less frequently than do women who maintain a healthful weight. Once they get pregnant, the risk of spontaneous miscarriage is higher. Pregnancy makes a woman more prone to diabetes, and obese mothers are at particular risk. Complicating matters, pregnancy predisposes women to obesity. It is a common misconception that a pregnant woman needs to eat a lot more, since she is eating for the baby, too. Overeating may lead to extra pounds that stay with her for the rest of her life. I advise women who are of ideal body weight prior to pregnancy to gain no more than 25 pounds, and those who are obese to limit their weight gain to 18 pounds during pregnancy. If you follow these guidelines, exercise and eat well post-partum, you should return to pre-conception weight within six months. Difficult labor, delivery and beyond  Obese women tend to be diabetic and often go beyond their due date, causing their babies to grow larger. During labor and delivery, they tend to have a higher risk of anesthesia-related complications and birth injuries, in addition to complications associated with diabetes. Moreover, labor for the obese is often much longer than for women of optimal weight. Obese women have a greater risk of having a baby with birth defects, due to the difficulties associated with delivering a large baby and with the increased use of anesthesia and C-sections. Due to improper diet, they tend to have reduced levels of folate, found in dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale. Folate deficiency can lead to neural tube defects, including spina bifida or anencephaly (absence of a major portion of the brain), as well as anemia in the newborn. The health challenges faced during pregnancy may continue postpartum. Women who developed gestational diabetes, for example, are more prone to diabetes later in life, and urinary incontinence and wound infection following pregnancy are linked to obesity. Excess pounds affect your health from this day forward to the end of your life, and, in the case of your baby, from the moment of conception to his or her first breath. It is crucial to take sensible steps to lose those extra pounds through proper diet and exercise. After all, you are what you eat, and obesity is a real threat. Dr. Afshan Hameed is a board-certified OB/GYN and cardiologist at UCI Medical Center, Orange County’s only university hospital, which has been named one of the nation’s best hospitals for gynecology by U.S. News & World Report. Information: ucihealth.com or call toll free 714.456.2911.

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