Known as a gateway illness, obesity is one of the leading causes of deaths in the United States. Obesity itself is a complicated issue to address as there are many known factors that can cause the illness. From poor nutrition to inactivity, obesity carries with it many health risks that ultimately cause death. According to an article from the Centers of Disease control and Prevention (CDC) website (cdc.gov), obesity has been linked to contributing illnesses such as, “high blood pressure (hypertension), high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides (Dsylipidemia), type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and breathing problems, mental illness (anxiety and depression), body pain and difficulty with physical functioning”.
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html
A description of the health effects of obesity can be found on the Stanford Health Care website.
https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/healthy-living/obesity.html
Although there are no direct symptoms that can state when obesity may become an issue for a person, the Body Mass Index (BMI) can be used to determine at what weight status a person finds themselves in.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/symptoms-causes/syc-20375742
