Obesity is not only identified with the discomfort of feeling different with physical and especially mental limitations, but must be considered to all intents and purposes a disease of varying severity depending on the degree, diseases associated with it or dependent on it:
- Cardiovascular: hypertension, cardiomegaly, thromboembolism, coronary heart disease.
- Endocrine: diabetes, irregular or absent menstrual cycle, complications during pregnancy, infertility.
- Respiratory: dyspnea, night apnoea syndrome, asthma.
- Gastrointestinal: stones, colon cancer, liver steatosis.
- Dermatological: varicose ulcers.
- Musculoskeletal apparatus: osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis.
- Hematochemical abnormalities: dyslipidemia, increased uric acid (gut).
In Italy it is estimated that there are 500.000 large obese people (IMC > 40) and 4.700.000 obese people with an IMC between 30 and 40 kg/m2.
In our country, obesity is attributed to 52.000 deaths per year: this is the second health risk after smoking.