Which of the following is not an adverse effect of obesity?

MP CHO -2021 (Shift 1st)

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: MP CHO -2021 (Shift 1st)

Explanation

Hypotension is the medical term for low blood pressure.
Obesity does not cause low blood pressure; instead, it is one of the most significant risk factors for developing hypertension (high blood pressure).
The mechanisms linking obesity and hypertension include increased cardiac output, activation of the sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin system, and physical compression of the kidneys by visceral fat.

Option A: This is incorrect because hyperlipidemia (abnormally high concentration of fats or lipids in the blood) is a well-established metabolic complication of obesity.
Option B: This is incorrect because glucose intolerance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, is a hallmark metabolic disturbance caused by insulin resistance associated with obesity.
Option D: This is incorrect because Coronary Heart Disease is a major cardiovascular complication strongly associated with obesity, driven by factors like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and inflammation.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Complications and adverse effects of obesity as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a crucial role in screening for obesity by calculating BMI and measuring waist circumference, and identifying associated health risks.
Patient education is a key nursing intervention, focusing on lifestyle modifications such as diet, physical activity, and behavior changes to manage weight and reduce the risk of complications.
What if? If a patient with obesity presents with dizziness and lightheadedness upon standing, the nurse should not dismiss it. While obesity causes hypertension, the patient could have orthostatic hypotension due to medications (like antihypertensives) or dehydration, requiring a thorough assessment.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the keyword in the question stem. Here, the keyword is 'NOT'. This means you are looking for the option that is an exception or is false.
Read the question carefully: 'Which of the following is NOT an adverse effect of obesity?'
Evaluate each option based on your knowledge of obesity's pathophysiology.
Option A (Hyperlipidemia), Option B (Glucose Intolerance), and Option D (Coronary Heart Disease) are all well-known complications of obesity.
Consider Option C (Hypotension). Recall that obesity increases the workload on the heart and affects hormonal systems that regulate blood pressure, leading to high blood pressure (hypertension), not low blood pressure (hypotension).
Therefore, hypotension is the correct answer as it is not an effect of obesity.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QLUYernN6XDNuKOjzkZnd3

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