How overeating triggers heart attack – experts

Medical experts have warned that overeating can trigger discomfort in individuals and worsen long-term health conditions, especially among people with underlying illnesses such as heart attack, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.

A Consultant Endocrinologist and Physician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade, told PUNCH that overeating often begins with seemingly mild symptoms that many people ignore.

Fasanmade explained that while these symptoms may appear temporary, persistent overeating has more serious consequences.

He listed symptoms of overeating to include a protruding stomach, discomfort, exhaustion, fatigue, sluggishness, drowsiness, heartburn, and bloating.

“Well, the first thing about overeating is indigestion. Some people will be belching, and some will not be able to lie down or sleep because they have overeaten. In some extreme cases, some people start purging.

“But if a person overeats on a long-term basis, the outcome is very obvious. The person will gradually become obese by putting on weight. And obesity comes with many problems, ranging from hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and even cancer, which has been linked to overindulgence in eating,” he said.

According to him, physical discomfort such as bloating and abdominal pain is another indicator that an individual has gone beyond healthy limits.

“When people eat so much, the stomach becomes painful. You notice that you feel bloated, uncomfortable, and restless.

“Many conditions are linked to constant overeating. Diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol are among them. Fatty liver is another one as well. All of these conditions are dangerous to the body,” he stated.

He added that every organ in the body suffers when an individual overeats.

To overcome overheating, Fasanmade recommended drinking water before meals as a simple strategy to control portion sizes.

Another expert who spoke to the newspaper was a former President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria and Professor of Community Nutrition at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Wasiu Afolabi.

Prof. Afolabi said consistent overeating disrupts the body’s energy balance and leads to obesity.

“When people constantly overeat, it leads to an excessive accumulation of energy, particularly when it is not commensurate with energy expenditure.

“When you consume energy in excess, and it is not matched with physical activity or energy use, you enter a state known as positive energy balance. This means the person is likely to become overweight, and when this continues over a long period, it progresses to obesity,” Afolabi said.

He noted that overeating also causes immediate discomfort and worsens existing health conditions.