Obesity affects people differently depending on how much they weigh, but even those who are technically normal weight or just overweight can experience the negative effects of being overweight. The most common health problems associated with obesity are cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, joint pain and depression—but it also affects people’s daily lives in smaller ways too. If you want to know what it’s like to be obese, read this guide on how obesity affects every aspect of your life, from the simple things like fitting in airplane seats to more significant issues like sexual satisfaction and getting a job.

The physical, mental, and social effects

Psychologically, obesity can be both a cause and an effect. It can cause low self-esteem, which causes stress and depression. It may also be caused by depression or some other mental illness. Studies have shown that obese people are less likely to participate in sports and extracurricular activities, leading to isolation.

The long-term impact

Obesity is associated with an increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and many types of cancer. It also impacts quality of life: heavy people are more likely to be depressed, have sleep apnea and get less exercise than normal-weight people. Additionally, overweight and obese people have a shorter life expectancy by 10 years or more.

Living with obesity

Obesity is more than a health issue, it has impacts on almost every aspect of your life. At home, it affects the kind and quality of furniture you need, with whom you can share a bed, how much space you take up in public spaces like an airplane or bus. There are also challenges to maintaining relationships and more as people sometimes make unhealthy choices because they don’t want to be seen as too fat when eating in public together.

Consequences on health

Obesity is associated with several health consequences, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, many cancers and an increased risk for premature death. For instance, the Framingham study found that women who had a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more were about twice as likely to die from any cause as women who had a BMI below 22.5 kg/m2.

Consequences on sex life

People with obesity are at an increased risk for developing certain types of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. This means their sex life can be affected in a variety of ways. For example, it is difficult to keep up intimate relationships with difficulty achieving orgasms.

Consequences on relationships

One consequence on your relationships is feeling very isolated from the world. When you’re obese, it can be difficult to find like-minded people with similar interests who would be willing to spend time with you. We were scared that telling others about our weight loss goals would result in them trying to sabotage us and we didn’t want to feel that isolation any more.

Consequences on professional life

Obesity impacts your ability to get a job, the type of jobs you can get, how long you can keep that job and how much money you will make. All these factors contribute to the likelihood that obese people will live in poverty. Studies have shown that obese individuals earn 12% less than their average weight counterparts and are more likely to be unemployed. Being unable to work at all can lead to an impoverished lifestyle with inadequate living conditions and lack of resources for healthier food options or reliable transportation.

Consequences on your quality of life

According to a study done by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois, people with obesity report more physical limitations than people without. Obesity increases your risk for other diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease. Plus you have more difficulty finding clothes that fit you properly. You are also limited in what type of social activities you can take part in because many venues are not wheelchair accessible or might be too physically demanding.