Obesity is a chronic condition that impacts your mental and physical health. It is estimated that 58% of U.S. adults with obesity have high blood pressure, 21% have heart disease, and 58% have type 2 diabetes.Other research found people with obesity had an 18% to 55% increased risk of depression.Thegoodnews is that once you start to lose weight, many of these issues may improve or resolve.In this guide, we’ve focused on how obesity affects your:MindHeartLungsGutBonesIt can be helpful to understand the effect of obesity on your well-being and body. We’ve also included three real-life personal stories to remind you that each journey is unique. We all have to start somewhere— we’re glad you’re here.—Sonal Kumar, MD, board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist, Verywell Health Medical Expert BoardObesity and Your MindUnderstanding and Treating Disordered EatingObesity and Depression: Is There a Connection?Is Anxiety a Side Effect of Obesity?Obesity and Your Lungs and HeartObesity and Shortness of Breath: What’s the Connection?How Obesity Affects Breathing During SleepHow Obesity Affects Your Blood Pressure (And What You Can Do About It)Obesity and Your BonesUnderstanding the Relationship Between Obesity and OsteoporosisHow Obesity Can Cause a Herniated Disc and Back PainCan Obesity Increase Your Risk of Fractures?My Obesity JourneyI Used to Make Jokes About My Weight, But the Reality of My Poor Health Wasn’t FunnyBecoming an Advocate Helped Me Cope With Lifelong ObesityWhy I Chose to Have Bariatric Surgery, Despite the Stigma2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.World Health Organization.Obesity and overweight.Steptoe A, Frank P.Obesity and psychological distress. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023 Oct 23;378(1888):20220225. doi:10.1098/rstb.2022.0225

Obesity is a chronic condition that impacts your mental and physical health. It is estimated that 58% of U.S. adults with obesity have high blood pressure, 21% have heart disease, and 58% have type 2 diabetes.Other research found people with obesity had an 18% to 55% increased risk of depression.Thegoodnews is that once you start to lose weight, many of these issues may improve or resolve.In this guide, we’ve focused on how obesity affects your:MindHeartLungsGutBonesIt can be helpful to understand the effect of obesity on your well-being and body. We’ve also included three real-life personal stories to remind you that each journey is unique. We all have to start somewhere— we’re glad you’re here.—Sonal Kumar, MD, board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist, Verywell Health Medical Expert BoardObesity and Your MindUnderstanding and Treating Disordered EatingObesity and Depression: Is There a Connection?Is Anxiety a Side Effect of Obesity?Obesity and Your Lungs and HeartObesity and Shortness of Breath: What’s the Connection?How Obesity Affects Breathing During SleepHow Obesity Affects Your Blood Pressure (And What You Can Do About It)Obesity and Your BonesUnderstanding the Relationship Between Obesity and OsteoporosisHow Obesity Can Cause a Herniated Disc and Back PainCan Obesity Increase Your Risk of Fractures?My Obesity JourneyI Used to Make Jokes About My Weight, But the Reality of My Poor Health Wasn’t FunnyBecoming an Advocate Helped Me Cope With Lifelong ObesityWhy I Chose to Have Bariatric Surgery, Despite the Stigma

Obesity is a chronic condition that impacts your mental and physical health. It is estimated that 58% of U.S. adults with obesity have high blood pressure, 21% have heart disease, and 58% have type 2 diabetes.Other research found people with obesity had an 18% to 55% increased risk of depression.

Thegoodnews is that once you start to lose weight, many of these issues may improve or resolve.

In this guide, we’ve focused on how obesity affects your:

It can be helpful to understand the effect of obesity on your well-being and body. We’ve also included three real-life personal stories to remind you that each journey is unique. We all have to start somewhere— we’re glad you’re here.

—Sonal Kumar, MD, board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist, Verywell Health Medical Expert Board

Obesity and Your Mind

Understanding and Treating Disordered EatingObesity and Depression: Is There a Connection?Is Anxiety a Side Effect of Obesity?

Young woman looking into refrigerator for food

Understanding and Treating Disordered Eating

A woman sitting with her head against a wall

Obesity and Depression: Is There a Connection?

Woman sitting on edge of bed

Is Anxiety a Side Effect of Obesity?

Obesity and Your Lungs and Heart

Obesity and Shortness of Breath: What’s the Connection?How Obesity Affects Breathing During SleepHow Obesity Affects Your Blood Pressure (And What You Can Do About It)

Woman standing on a bridge, taking a break to catch her breath while exercising

Obesity and Shortness of Breath: What’s the Connection?

A person with sleep apnea in bed with a CPAP mask

How Obesity Affects Breathing During Sleep

Doctor checking patient’s blood pressure

How Obesity Affects Your Blood Pressure (And What You Can Do About It)

Obesity and Your Bones

Understanding the Relationship Between Obesity and OsteoporosisHow Obesity Can Cause a Herniated Disc and Back PainCan Obesity Increase Your Risk of Fractures?

Doctor and patient discussing the link between Obesity and Osteoporosis

Understanding the Relationship Between Obesity and Osteoporosis

woman stretching because of back pain

How Obesity Can Cause a Herniated Disc and Back Pain

A Healthcare provider examining a patient for fractures

Can Obesity Increase Your Risk of Fractures?

My Obesity Journey

I Used to Make Jokes About My Weight, But the Reality of My Poor Health Wasn’t FunnyBecoming an Advocate Helped Me Cope With Lifelong ObesityWhy I Chose to Have Bariatric Surgery, Despite the Stigma

Holly Logan

I Used to Make Jokes About My Weight, But the Reality of My Poor Health Wasn’t Funny

Obesity and Your Life Liz Paul Personal story

Becoming an Advocate Helped Me Cope With Lifelong Obesity

Kristal Hartman Personal story

Why I Chose to Have Bariatric Surgery, Despite the Stigma

2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.World Health Organization.Obesity and overweight.Steptoe A, Frank P.Obesity and psychological distress. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023 Oct 23;378(1888):20220225. doi:10.1098/rstb.2022.0225

2 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.World Health Organization.Obesity and overweight.Steptoe A, Frank P.Obesity and psychological distress. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023 Oct 23;378(1888):20220225. doi:10.1098/rstb.2022.0225

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

World Health Organization.Obesity and overweight.Steptoe A, Frank P.Obesity and psychological distress. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023 Oct 23;378(1888):20220225. doi:10.1098/rstb.2022.0225

World Health Organization.Obesity and overweight.

Steptoe A, Frank P.Obesity and psychological distress. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023 Oct 23;378(1888):20220225. doi:10.1098/rstb.2022.0225