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Complications of obesity

Fatty Liver (NASH)

Fatty liver disease, more formally known as Non-Alcoholic Steato-Hepatitis ("NASH" - not "nash," the Yiddish word for eating sweets) is caused by excessive fat deposition in the liver. Excess calorie consumption ("noshing" – the Yiddish word), can lead to excess fat intake with the fat being stored not only in fat stores, but also in the liver and other vital organs. This excess liver fat results in silent inflammation, usually detected by abnormal liver function tests when a blood panel is performed. In the U.S., this is the most common cause of abnormal liver function tests, with up to 25% of overweight and obese individuals having this condition. It is estimated that 10 to 20% of individuals with this condition, if untreated, will go on to develop cirrhosis or liver failure during their lifetime. Although some diabetic medications are used to treat this condition, the most effective treatment is weight reduction and increase in physical activity.

Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X)

This is a scary name, but it is actually a constellation of conditions. It is commonly found in the obese population, with over 47 million Americans (22%) of the population affected. To be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, you need three or more of the following criteria:

• Waist circumference> 40 inches in men or 35 inches in women.
  
• Triglycerides > 150 mg/dl.
  
• HDL cholesterol< 40 mg/dl in men or <50 in women.
  
• Blood Pressure > 130/85 mm Hg.
  
• Glucose (fasting) >110 mg/dl.

The most effective treatment of metabolic syndrome is weight reduction; alternatively, the individual conditions are treated with multiple medications and tremendous expense.

Degenerative arthritis

For general information on osteoarthritis, click here.

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