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While the majority of people who suffer from obesity are obese due to
over eating and severe lack of exercise there are some people who suffer
from obesity due to a medical problem which they may be aware of or not
realise could be an underlying cause for their obesity.
In cases such as these obesity is often one symptom or sign of an underlying
medical condition, three of the main conditions which can cause obesity
are hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome and depression.
Hypothyroidism or under active thyroid gland
In some cases of obesity an under active thyroid gland can be the main
cause of being over weight or obese, the thyroid gland can be found just
underneath the Adams apple and is responsible for producing an hormone
called thyroxin.
When there is a deficiency, a condition called under active thyroid gland
or hypothyroidism occurs with one of the main symptoms being the inability
to lose weight.
It can however to lead to other complications with the health such as
anaemia, depression, dementia and in extreme cases be the cause of heart
failure. The chances of developing an under active thyroid gland increase
with age and it is thought that over 40% of all people over the age of
60 suffer from the condition to some degree.
Cushing syndrome
Cushing's syndrome is a condition which affects the hormones and more
commonly affects people between the age of 20 and 50, it is caused by
prolonged exposure of the body's tissue to high levels of cortisol. Upper
body obesity is a common symptom of the disease with an increase in the
amount of fat around the neck.
Other common symptoms of the disease are the skin bruising easily and
failing to heal properly, stretch marks appearing on the abdomen, arms,
thighs and buttocks and weakened bones. Anxiety and depression are also
common as is severe fatigue and weakness along with high blood pressure
and raised blood sugar levels.
Depression
Obesity is a common symptom of depression, the exact cause or link to
obesity in depression isn't know but most people who are depressed will
eat food for methods of comfort. A person suffering from depression will
also have general feelings of lethargy and usually won't get the exercise
they need in order to keep them in shape.
Those suffering from depression will also have feelings of low self-esteem
and worthlessness which again causes them to turn to food as means of
comfort. People suffering from depression can also suffer from binge eating
with or without purging and when this happens huge amounts of calories
will be consumed at any given time.
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