Obesity May Raise Kidney Stone Risk

According to a trial published in the Journal Of Urology obesity may raise your risk of developing Kidney stones. Obese people included in the trial were almost twice as likely to suffer kidney stones, in comparison with people of a normal weight. This applied whether they were morbidly obese, or just obese. In the UK standard obesity counts as having a body mass index (BMI) of over 30 while morbid obesity is a BMI of over 40.

Before this study it had commonly been believed that as weight increases, the threat to kidney health rises. This study refutes that idea, however, and shows that if you are obese, you may face a higher threat of kidney stones – regardless of how severe that obesity is. Kidney stones are small, solid masses that may build up inside the kidneys, causing pain and possible liver damage. Men are significantly more likely to develop kidney stones than women.

The exact reason for the link between kidney stones and obesity is not made clear by the study. Could it be that being overweight causes kidney stones? Although we cannot ascertain this from the results, the possibility cannot be excluded. What we do know is that obesity is linked to a variety of health problems, many of which can cause serious damage to your body. The major concern in terms of obesity is heart disease, a condition that kills 17 million people every year. Obesity is a common cause of heart disease. Other conditions that result from obesity include diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers.

Globally the World Health Organisation believes that obesity is responsible for 1.6 billion deaths each year. As the global shift towards fast-food and high-calorie, high-fat snacks continues, keeping vigilant about your weight is more important than ever before.