Do You Suffer from Snorbesity?

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Just about everyone knows that excess body fat has a tremendous negative effect on the skeleton and the joints, but both your internal and external fat also influences your muscles — all of them.

All extra weight that doesn’t support itself saps the strength from your muscles — all of them. And that includes the muscles in your throat.

When you are very over-fat the muscles in your throat will NOT be as tight as they should be. When throat muscles are loose, you are much more likely to snore. Keep in mind that this is in addition to the blockage and extra pressure that the fat tissue already causes.

Also, all the tissues in the throat become softer when you’re overweight. Softer throat tissues and loose muscles are two of the main reasons that people are so prone to snoring. When you add softened tissues and loose muscles to partial blockage and extra pressure on the airway, you’re almost guaranteed to snore.

Of course, a little snoring here and there never hurt anyone. But obesity and snoring is a dangerous combination.

If you are overweight or obese and snore, has it affected your relationship with your partner? Is he or she sleeping in a different room?

Are you fighting to stay awake during the day?

Do you feel sleepy and cranky?

Do you suffer from general overall fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, memory impairment?

Do you wake up choking or gasping?

Do you have morning headaches, dry mouth or sore throat?

Are you able to sleep at all; do you have insomnia?

Have any or all these circumstances led to depression?

If the answer to any of those questions is yes, believe it or not, even THAT list is not the worst aspect of snoring. What’s worse is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a sleep-related breathing disorder that, in addition to the snoring symptoms I listed, causes your body to actually STOP breathing during sleep. OSA occurs when the tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. And remember what I stated earlier: All the tissues in the throat become softer when you’re overweight.

And, if all of that isn’t bad enough, here’s another thing to know if you’re obese:

If you ever need surgery, obesity-related changes in anatomy have significant implications for obese patients requiring surgery and anesthesia . . . and one of those anatomy changes is in the airway management throughout the surgery. This is because as you continue to gain weight, your neck gets thicker, and when the level of fat from your throat increases, your airway gets smaller, which presents a challenge to even the most skilled and experienced anesthesiologist.