There are medical conditions that are related to, or made worse by obesity. These are called co-morbidities and categorized as major or life-threatening problems, and minor or more common conditions that are not as life threatening.

Major co-morbidities include the following:

• Type II Diabetes
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol, etc.)
• Heart Disease
• Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Minor co-morbidities include the following:

• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Degenerative Arthritis
• Depression
• Urinary Incontinence
• Menstrual irregularity and infertility

Morbid obesity increases the risk for a shorter life expectancy especially for individuals whose body weight exceeds twice their ideal body weight. This brings with it an increased risk of diabetes or heart attack up to seven times greater than in non-obese persons. However, weight gain alone can lead to “end-stage” obesity where no treatment options are available.