This is the heart of a 423 pound, 27 year old male who died from complications of morbid obesity. 
This heart is about three times the size of an average heart. The more you weigh, the more blood you have flowing throughout your body. The heart has to work harder to pump this extra blood. Due to this increased workload on the heart, it literally grows just like a muscle. As the heart gets bigger, its pumping efficiency decreases due to its lack of ability to squeeze and relax with each heartbeat. The number of fat cells your entire body will carry into adulthood and for a lifetime is determined by the time you are about ten years old. This number remains constant, regardless of any weight loss or weight gain. Each fat cell shrinks or swells, rather than dividing, as the body weight changes due to lifestyle and diet changes. A balanced diet during the first ten years of life has been proven to decrease the amount of stem cells that choose to differentiate into fat cells. Therefore, an effective way to have less fat cells as an adult is to carefully monitor the diet of your child in their first decade. This is one of the most effective ways to greatly reduce the risk of obesity in your children.
Photo credit: @tabbiicatt and @mrs_angemi
Written by: Student Doctor Navpreet Singh Badesha
