Overview

How obesity affects your health depends on many things, including your age, your sex, where you carry your body fat, and how physically active you are.

Obesity raises your risk for many conditions, including:

• Gallstones.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• High cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Coronary artery disease (CAD).
• Stroke.
• Sleep apnea.
• Arthritis.

In some people, fat builds up mostly around the stomach. (This is sometimes called apple-shaped.) Those people are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease than people who are lean or people with fat around the hips (sometimes called pear-shaped).

If you have healthier habits or lose weight, you can lower your risk for these conditions.