Obesity Flashcards
Define obesity.
Condition in which excess fat has accumulated in the body. Can be defined by BMI = Body weight/height
What are the causes of obesity?
- Increased food consumption and decreased energy expenditure.
- Genetic disorders
- Pathological conditions - Cushing’s disease
How is appetite controlled?
Leptin - 167 amino acid protein
What are the characteristics of Cushing’s disease?
- Psychiatric effects
- Moon face
- Buffalo hump
- Thin extremities
- Fat abdomen
- Muscle wasting
- Diabetes mellitus
- Obesity
- Headaches
- Visual defects = bitemporal hemianopia
What are the causes of Cushing’s disease?
- Hypopituitary axis
- Pituitary adenoma = Hypercortisolaemia
- Adrenal tumour = Hypercortisolaemia
What is Cushing’s disease?
Tumour on the pituitary gland –> increase production of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic) –> adrenal glands produce more cortisol
What is the cause of headaches?
Stretching of the dura matter. Consists of 3 layers:
- Dura = outer matter
- Arachnoid = middle
- Pia = inner
Why does a person with Cushing’s disease suffer from visual defects?
Pituitary gland sits below optic chiasma, swelling of adenoma causes decrease in peripheral vision.
What are the effects of Hypercortisolaemia?
- Increase gluconeogenesis
- Redistributes body fat
- Causes muscle wasting
What are the health risks of obesity?
- Death in surgery
- Insulin resistance
- Coronary heart disease
- Gallstones
- Arthritis
- Varicose veins and haemorrhoids
Why are obese people at a higher risk of dying during surgery?
- Surgery takes longer
- Anaesthesia is difficult to control
- Reduced lung function
- Increase susceptibility to pneumonia and bronchitis
Why are obese people at a higher risk of diabetes?
Increase in fatty acids –>decrease in glucose uptake into muscle and decrease in glucose utilisation
Why are obese people at a higher risk of arthritis?
Increase stress and weight on weight bearing hints such as the knees and hips.
Why are obese people at a higher risk of haemorrhoids?
Enlargement of the spongy blood filled cushions around the anus due to increased intra-abdominal pressure and a decrease in fibre intake.
