Serious Problems associated with Obesity.

Being overweight can cause some problems that you may find embarrassing. Here are some of them.

A red rash under the breasts is a problem for many overweight women. This does not mean you are unclean. It is simply that some skin fungi thrive in warm, moist folds of skin, and of course these skin folds are deeper if you are overweight. For more information, seeredness under the breasts.

Red rash in the groin occurs for similar reasons to the rash under the breasts. For more information, see jock itch.

Sweating seems to be a common problem. This may be partly because if you are overweight you have to put more effort into any movements that you make. Have a look at the sweating section for advice.

Stretch marks can occur, especially following yo-yo dieting. (Another good reason not to go on fad diets.) There are some treatments, so look at the stretch marks section.

Leaking urine when you cough or sneeze is a very common worry if you are overweight (International Journal of Obesity 2008; 32:1312–8). When we are overweight, fat accumulates inside the abdomen, as well as under the skin. The ‘pelvic floor’ muscles that support the bladder, and help to prevent leakage, cannot cope with the weight of this fat in the abdomen. For more information, look at the section on incontinence of urine.

Sexual problems seem to be more common in overweight people. If you are very overweight, actually having intercourse might be problematic and, in men, erection problems are more likely (International Journal of Impotence Research 2005; 17:391–8). A Swedish survey of overweight women found they had less satisfactory sex lives, and were more likely to try to avoid having intercourse (International Journal of Obesity 2008; 32:1312–18). This might be partly to do with feeling generally unattractive. It was also partly because they were worried about leaking urine during sex (which was more likely to happen than in women of normal weight). Another study, in Italy, reported that being overweight did not affect sexual desire, but did cause problems with becoming sexually aroused, lubrication, and orgasm (International Journal of Impotence Research 2007; 19:353–7). The good news is that if you lose some weight, your sex life should improve; this has been shown by several research studies.