OBESITY & CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

OBESITY AND KIDNEY DISEASE

Obesity is basically, the accumulation of excess fat in the body. In most cases, this is caused by a combination of excessive food intake and a lack of physical activity.

Basically, your body is composed of lean weight (muscle, bone, tendons, ligaments, internal organs) and fat weight (fat tissues). Generally, lean weight is referred to as the lean body mass and your fat weight is referred to as body fat percentage. Individuals with body fat percentages greater than 30% for females and 25% for males, are generally considered obese. Ideally, the body fat percentage for females should be 22% and for males 15%.

Excess fat places a lot of pressure on the body’s main organs (kidneys included) and biological systems, leading to various diseases. The heart, the kidneys, the pancreas, and other organs are all placed under enormous strain.

Fat tissues are a necessary component of the physical anatomy. Having too much of it, however, can result in serious physical, psychological, and social problems. For instance, individuals who are significantly overweight increase their risk of developing many serious health conditions, such as heart failure, kidney failure, respiratory ailments, bone and joint disorders, and diabetes. Additionally, they are faced with unfortunate social problems. For example, it can be quite embarrassing when excessively overweight individuals are required to pay extra for seats on ground and air transportation. Overweight individuals also usually have low self esteem, caused by negative self image and negative perception of how they are viewed by others.

What’s the big deal with excess fat, anyway?

Every extra pound of fat forces your heart to pump blood through an extra mile of blood vessels. If you are over-fat, you may not only increase your risk of developing some diseases, but you may aggravate (worsen) diseases which are caused by other factors. Excessive body fat is linked to:

• high blood pressure,
• increases cholesterol,
• diabetes,
• lower back problems,
• respiratory ailments,
• heart failure,
• bone and joint disorders, and
• kidney failure

 What are the causes?

Generally, individuals who are obese are:

• eating too much,
• eating the wrong kind of foods,
• exercising too little.

These, however, are not the only causes. Other causes include hereditary factors, and emotional problems. Although other factors may play a part, studies show that inactivity is the most important reason for the high incidence of obesity in our modern society. It actually appears that most obese individuals do not eat much more than the non-obese, and very few have hormonal, metabolic, or glandular problems, which cause them to be overweight. We simply do not have a level of activity that will burn up the calories we take in each day.

Obesity and Kidney Failure

When someone has excessive fat, they place themselves at great risk of developing a number of serious medical conditions… including kidney failure.

High blood pressure – Individuals who are obese, over time, will most likely develop high blood pressure (hypertension). Fat is tissue, just like muscles or organs, and requires a constant blood supply. Each pound of fat contains approximately one mile of blood vessels. This means that each extra pound of fat places additional pressure on the heart, to pump extra blood through the body. This causes the heart to work much harder to pump blood around the body, which results in high blood pressure.

Hypertension is an underlying cause of kidney failure. The force of the blood damages vital tissues and vessels within the kidneys, causing them to fail, over time.

Diabetes – When a person is overweight, it usually means that they are eating too much of the wrong kinds of food (especially sweets). This places additional stain on the pancreas to produce insulin. Over time, the pancreas may not be able to cope with this heavy workload and may begin to malfunction. Consequently, it will not be able to produce the amount of insulin needed, resulting in diabetes. Individuals who are obese, therefore, are at greater risk of developing diabetes and kidney failure.

Toxins – Usually, overweight persons have a build up of toxins, caused by eating too much of the wrong foods leading to poor digestion. Foods that are not properly digested remain in the colon and produces toxins. Through normal biological processes, these toxins get into the blood stream and contaminate the blood.

One of the primary functions of the kidney is to remove toxins and other waste products from the blood. With obese persons, however, the level of toxins and waste products increases. The kidneys are not equipped to deal with the excessive amounts of toxins usually associated with over-fat individuals. This additional strain on the kidneys can result in kidney failure, over time.

In summary, the link between obesity and kidney failure really stems from overworking the body’s vital organs. To avoid this, you should be mindful of your ideal body weight, and try to maintain it. Weight control is an important element of maintaining optimum kidney health. Eat a balanced diet, balance your calorie intake, exercise regularly, and if necessary cut back on the amount of food consumed. The keys to minimizing the risks associated with excessive body weight are: permanent weight control, balanced diet, and regular exercise

If you would like to be referred to a dietician who can help you to make healthy dietary choices and lifestyle changes please let your provider know.