Almost every system of the body suffers when a person is obese. Doctors consider a person obese who is 20 percent above the recommended weight for his or her height and build.
When a person is very overweight, the respiratory system may become overtaxed. The extra physical mass, composed of fat, that rests on the breathing apparatus is heavier than it should be. The additional weight putting pressure on the larynx and rib cage makes it difficult for a person to breath deeply, and fill the lungs to capacity with fresh air. In the cardiovascular system, fatty deposits may accumulate on the arteries, causing atherosclerosis. This may eventually impede the flow of blood to the heart. Obesity can cause high blood pressure and pulmonary hypertension, the enlargement of the right ventricle of the heart. Overweight people are more prone to varicose veins and thromboembolism--blood clots which may move from the veins to other parts of the body, particularly the lungs--than people who are slender. The gastrointestinal system is also affected by excess weight. Obese people tend to have fatty livers and gallstones much more frequently than normal.
The most common complication of obesity in the musculoskeletal system is osteoarthritis. Gouty arthritis and chronic destruction of the joints may occur because of the excess of uric acid frequently found in overweight people. In the female reproductive system, excess weight can interfere with the amount of menstrual flow and the timing of periods. That is because being overweight has an effect on the production and metabolism of estrogen, the female hormone. Although uncommon in the general population, toxemia (a form of blood poisoning) frequently occurs when the obese are pregnant or postpartum.
The endocrine system can be negatively affected in many ways in the overweight. The changes in the metabolism of testosterone and estrogen in the obese may lead to excess hairiness.
Overweight people often suffer from diabetes. They also tend to have a decreased metabolic rate. Another significant health risk to the overweight is that cancer rates are much higher. The cancer rate in overweight men is about a third higher, and obese women suffer from cancer over 50 percent more often than thin women.
So you see, there are many reasons that it is wise to try to maintain a healthy body weight. Maybe one or more of the health risks I have mentioned will motivate you to diet. Remember, there is no race to rid yourself of all the extra pounds you have been carrying around for so long. Do not crash diet, because you will probably regain the weight just as quickly, possibly even gaining more than you lost. Take it slowly and sensibly and make sure your nutrition does not suffer when you diet. Your best bet is to change the amounts of food you eat, eating less of the foods you like best. Of course if you switch from high cholesterol or fatty foods to low cholesterol, you gain another benefit of reducing risks of heart attack or stroke.
Hospitalization - Admission Procedures
The procedures you follow on admission to a hospital vary from one hospital to another, but basically the process is the same in most institutions in the United States.
Care of the Dying - Reaction of Children
A child's reaction to death depends on many factors. A child's first experience with death is often the death of a pet. A child under the age of eight cannot understand that death is irreversible and may expect the mother or father to bring the pet back to life. After the age of eight or nine, the child's understanding is usually as rational as an adult's understanding.
Care of the Dying - Moment of Death
Do not be alarmed if the patient's breathing makes a groaning or croaking sound. It does not mean that he or she is in pain. When a dying patient slips into a coma, the position of the neck and body produces the noise, which can be reduced by gently turning the patient's shoulders or body.
