Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity

People who have overweight or obesity*, compared to those with healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions. These include:1,2,3

• All-causes of death (mortality).

• High blood pressure (hypertension).

• High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (dyslipidemia).

• Type 2 diabetes.

• Coronary heart disease.

• Stroke.

• Gallbladder disease.

• Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint).

• Sleep apnea and breathing problems.

• Many types of cancer.

• Low quality of life.

• Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders4,5.

• Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning6.

*Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher. Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher. See the BMI calculator for people 20 years and older and the BMI calculator for people ages 2 through 19.