Being overweight or having obesity may raise your risk for some health problems and may be linked to certain emotional and social problems. Show
Type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. About 8 out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or have obesity. Over time, high blood glucose leads to problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, nerve damage, and other health problems. If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, losing 5% to 7% of your body weight and getting regular physical activity may prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. High blood pressureHigh blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition in which blood flows through your blood vessels with a force greater than normal. High blood pressure can strain your heart, damage blood vessels, and raise your risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and death. Heart diseaseHeart disease is a term used to describe several problems that may affect your heart. If you have heart disease, you may have a heart attack, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina, or an abnormal heart rhythm. High blood pressure, abnormal levels of blood fats, and high blood glucose levels may raise your risk for heart disease. Blood fats, also called blood lipids, include HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Losing 5% to 10% of your weight may lower your risk factors for developing heart disease. If you weigh 200 pounds, this means losing as little as 10 pounds. Weight loss may also improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood flow. StrokeStroke is a condition in which the blood supply to your brain is suddenly cut off and is usually caused by a blockage or the bursting of a blood vessel in your brain or neck. A stroke can damage brain tissue and make you unable to speak or move parts of your body. High blood pressure is the leading cause of strokes. Sleep ApneaSleep apnea is a common disorder in which you do not breathe regularly while sleeping. You may stop breathing altogether for short periods of time. Untreated sleep apnea may raise your risk of other health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Metabolic syndromeMetabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. These conditions include:
Fatty liver diseasesFatty liver diseases are conditions in which fat builds up in your liver. Fatty liver diseases include nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fatty liver diseases may lead to severe liver damage, cirrhosis, or even liver failure. OsteoarthritisOsteoarthritis is a common, long-lasting health problem that causes pain, swelling, and reduced motion in your joints. Being overweight or having obesity may raise your risk of getting osteoarthritis by putting extra pressure on your joints and cartilage. Gallbladder diseaseOverweight and obesity may raise your risk of getting gallbladder diseases, such as gallstones and cholecystitis. Imbalances in substances that make up bile cause gallstones. Gallstones may form if bile contains too much cholesterol. Some cancersCancer is a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues. Overweight and obesity may raise your risk of developing certain types of cancer. Kidney diseaseKidney disease occurs when your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood like they should. Obesity raises the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, the most common causes of kidney disease. Even if you don’t have diabetes or high blood pressure, obesity itself may lead to developing kidney disease and quicken its progress. Pregnancy problemsOverweight and obesity raise the risk of health problems that may occur during pregnancy. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese may have a greater chance of developing gestational diabetes and having preeclampsia, which is a kind of high blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy. Preeclampsia can cause severe health problems for mother and baby if left untreated. Pregnant women with preeclampsia may need to have a cesarean section (C-section) and, as a result, may take longer to recover after giving birth. Emotional and social problemsOverweight and obesity are associated with mental health problems such as depression. People who are overweight or obese may also be the subject of weight bias and stigma from others, including health care providers. This can lead to feelings of rejection, shame, or guilt—further worsening mental health problems. Skip to main content
Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. Current UK government guidelines advise cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated fat with some unsaturated fat. A small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself. Fat helps the body absorb vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E. These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats. Any fat that's not used by your body's cells or turned into energy is converted into body fat. Likewise, unused carbohydrates and proteins are also converted into body fat. All types of fat are high in energy. A gram of fat, whether it's saturated or unsaturated, provides 9kcal (37kJ) of energy compared with 4kcal (17kJ) for carbohydrate and protein. The main types of fat found in food are: Most fats and oils contain both saturated and unsaturated fats in different proportions. As part of a healthy diet, you should try to cut down on foods and drinks that are high in saturated fats and trans fats and replace some of them with unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are found in many foods, both sweet and savoury. Most of them come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, as well as some plant foods, such as palm oil and coconut oil. Foods high in saturated fats
Cholesterol and saturated fatsCholesterol is a fatty substance that's mostly made by the body in the liver. It's carried in the blood as:
Eating too much saturated fats in your diet can raise "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. "Good" HDL cholesterol has a positive effect by taking cholesterol from parts of the body where there's too much of it to the liver, where it's disposed of. Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fats. The government recommends that:
Trans fats are found naturally at low levels in some foods, such as meat and dairy products. They can also be found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenated vegetable oil must be declared on a food's ingredients list if it's been included. Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. The government recommends that:
But most people in the UK do not eat a lot of trans fats. On average, we eat about half the recommended maximum. Most of the supermarkets in the UK have removed partially hydrogenated vegetable oil from all their own-brand products. People in the UK tend to eat a lot more saturated fats than trans fats. This means that when you're looking at the amount of fat in your diet, it's more important to focus on reducing the amount of saturated fats. If you want to reduce your risk of heart disease, it's best to reduce your overall fat intake and swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats. There's good evidence that replacing saturated fats with some unsaturated fats can help to lower your cholesterol level. Mostly found in oils from plants and fish, unsaturated fats can be either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fatsMonounsaturated fats help protect your heart by maintaining levels of "good" HDL cholesterol while reducing levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood. Monounsaturated fats are found in:
Polyunsaturated fatsPolyunsaturated fats can also help lower the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood. There are 2 main types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 and omega-6. Some types of omega-3 and omega-6 fats cannot be made by your body, which means it's essential to include small amounts of them in your diet. Omega-6 fats are found in vegetable oils, such as:
Omega-3 fats are found in oily fish, such as:
Most people get enough omega-6 in their diet, but it's recommended to have more omega-3 by eating at least 2 portions of fish each week, with 1 portion being an oily fish. Vegetable sources of omega-3 fats are not thought to have the same benefits on heart health as those found in fish. Find out more about healthy eating as a vegetarian. The nutrition labels on food packaging can help you cut down on total fat and saturated fat (also listed as "saturates", or "sat fat"). Nutrition information can be presented in different ways on the front and back of packaging. Total fat
Saturated fat
"Lower fat" labelsFor a product to be labelled lower fat, reduced fat, lite or light, it must contain at least 30% less fat than a similar product. But if the type of food in question is usually high in fat, the lower fat version may still be a high-fat food (17.5g or more of fat per 100g). For example, a lower fat mayonnaise may contain 30% less fat than the standard version, but it's still high in fat. Also, foods that are lower in fat are not necessarily lower in calories. Sometimes the fat is replaced with sugar and the food may end up having a similar energy content to the regular version. To be sure of the fat and energy content, remember to check the nutrition label on the packet. Cutting down on fat is only one aspect of achieving a healthy diet. Find out more about what food labelling terms mean, and how to get a balanced nutritious diet using the Eatwell Guide. Use the Change4Life Food Scanner app app to find healthier food choices when you're shopping.
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Page last reviewed: 14 April 2020 |
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