Bariatric Surgery & Medical Weight Loss

Obesity-Related Conditions

Obesity is not just about a number on a scale. Being overweight causes damage to nearly all body systems. Losing and managing your weight not only improves your health, but also helps you better manage a number of chronic conditions.

At the Stanford BMI Clinic, we treat the full range of obesity-related conditions, from heart and joint disease to fertility problems.

Obesity-related conditions we treat

We treat all the related conditions caused by being overweight, including:

• Accelerated aging. Some studies suggest obesity makes you age faster.
• Acid reflux. People with weight issues often experience heartburn. Weight loss can make that go away.
• Back pain. Your spine supports your entire body. Excess weight puts stress on your spine, leading to pain.
• Fertility problems. If you’re overweight and having trouble getting pregnant, bariatric surgery or a medical weight loss program may help you conceive.
• Heart disease. Fat doesn’t just live on the ‘outside’ of the body, where you can see it. Fat can clog arteries and lead to heart disease. Losing weight through bariatric surgery or a medical weight loss program can help keep your heart healthy.
• Hypertension (high blood pressure). When you’re overweight, your heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout your body. Losing weight can reduce your blood pressure.
• Joint pain. Excess weight can erode the lining of your knee and hip joints. This makes walking painful. You can preserve your joints by maintaining a healthy weight.
• Liver disease. Internal fat can accumulate in the liver and cause tissue scarring. When you lose weight, the liver often can heal itself.
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Beyond snoring, sleep apnea causes you to actually stop breathing during the night. Eventually, this lack of oxygen can damage your heart. Obesity can cause OSA, and losing weight can cure it.
• Risk of cognitive impairment. Overweight people may be more prone to developing dementia or another cognitive impairment, according to some recent research.
• Type 2 diabetes. This condition can be minimized or even reversed through weight loss.