Added and unwanted pounds. Excess weight is a very common factor in people with sleep apnea. Once you become an apnea victim, even more weight piles on. Not only is the ability or desire to exercise even more decreased, sleep apnea seems to cause changes in the body that lead to weight gain. Overeating and a lack of exercise are prime factors in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes again leads back to depression and the same vicious circle.
Unfortunately, those who are overweight don't believe that the weight causes a serious threat to their health. Many of them won't even admit that they are seriously overweight. This self-imposed blindness adds to the risk. Obesity, as I have mentioned, is a large factor in sleep apnea, diabetes and depression. It can also lead to high blood pressure, high or abnormal cholesterol levels, heart disease and stroke.