Rarely, hormonal disorders cause obesity. A number of commonly used drugs cause weight gain. They include corticosteroids such as prednisone and many antidepressants, as well as most other drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders. Symptoms Accumulation of excess fat below the diaphragm and in the chest wall may put pressure on the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath, even with minimal exertion. Obesity may cause various orthopedic problems, including low back pain and worsening of osteoarthritis, particularly in the hips, knees, and ankles.
Skin disorders are particularly common.
Because obese people have relatively little body surface for their weight, they can't get rid of body heat efficiently and they sweat more than thinner people. Complications Obese people have an increased risk of becoming ill or dying of most diseases, of injuries, and in accidents, and this risk further increases with increasing obesity. Risk is also affected by the location of excess fat. Why abdominal obesity increases these risks isn't known, but losing weight dramatically reduces them in people who have abdominal obesity. Losing weight lowers blood pressure in most people who have high blood pressure and allows over half the people who develop diabetes as adults to discontinue insulin or other drug treatment.