Obesity is a major cause of kidney ailments
Some consider obesity as not a serious health issue, not knowing that it is at the root of several lifestyle ailments and complications affecting the people.
Any major modern-day ailment has obesity increasing the risk factor for these tremendously.
Ailments aggravated by obesity include cardiac disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnea, fatty liver, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, various cancers, psychological problems and so on.
Obesity directly or indirectly can damage the kidneys.
Keeping the co-relation between the two in view, the theme for this year’s World Kidney Day on March 9 was ‘Obesity and Kidney disease: Healthy lifestyle for healthy kidneys’.
It is observed that around 50% of kidney failure cases are those who had diabetes; also observed is that in 30-40% kidney ailment cases, the patients are obese and overweight if not diabetic.
As per the International Federation of Kidney Foundation, by 2025 obesity will affect 18% men and over 21% women worldwide. The urban population is more prone to obesity-related kidney ailments due to their sedentary lifestyle.
Dr P Sriram Naveen, consultant nephrologist from Mycure Hospital, said, ‘With sedentary lifestyle, smartphone and fast food culture catching up, obesity has become a global problem. Though worldwide, a person with Body Mass Index (BMI) more than 30 is considered obese and BMI more than 25 is considered overweight, for smaller-built Asians, BMI more than 27.5 is considered obese and more than 23 is considered overweight’.
Dr Naveen further added, ‘For every one point increase in BMI, the risk for developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) goes up by 7-10%. Among those coming to us with kidney ailments, we find out of every 10 patients 3-4 are overweight and obese. People of all ages can be afflicted by kidney disease but those in their 20s and 30s are also at risk besides children as obesity is noticed among the young generation as well.’
Control weight to prevent kidney disease, in addition to many others!
