How Obesity Is Related To Hearing Loss

  1. Beltone Dallas Fort Worth

Obesity is much more than physical appearance; instead, it is a complication caused by an excess of fat in the body. Just a few extra pounds does not make you obese though. 

You need a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more to be considered Obese. A BMI of 25 to 29 is considered to be only overweight. Of course, lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise can help keep you from passing that BMI of 30 threshold, but remember there can always be other medical contributors to a persons weight. 

Why should this matter? This could be a gateway to other conditions. One of which would be hearing loss, which is more severe than most think. Along with other issues that can be caused by hearing loss, it has also been linked to depression and dementia.

The Relation

It doesn’t seem to make sense how the amount of fat we have relates to the state of our auditory system. It’s not really about this element but rather how it affects our body when there’s too much of it.

A lot of excess fat requires a lot of work from the circulatory system. That means a lot of nutrients will have to be transported to different parts of the body wherever fat is located, to maintain them. The heart was not designed to cater to this much work. Arteries also become blocked by fat, which makes it harder for blood to pass through. All of this makes it possible that your inner ear becomes deprived of resources. If done long enough, it may cause permanent damage leading to hearing loss.

What Research Has To Say

An investigation that spanned 20 years was done on 68,000 women. It was initiated in 1989, and within the duration of this study, they tracked the weight, auditory system, waist size, and amount of physical activity of the subjects.

It was discovered that an excess of 80 cm of the waistline increases the risk of hearing impairments by 11%. What’s more shocking is if this figure was at 88 cm, the possibility of contracting hearing loss increases by 27%. A very alarming number.


To avoid this ordeal altogether, it’s best to have a healthy lifestyle. Simply altering one aspect is not enough, the way to achieving a healthy weight differs for eveyone, but a few tips are below.

Watch What You Eat

Make sure you consume all the necessary vitamins and minerals you need every day. Avoid unhealthy junk food, especially fatty ones or those high in sugar. Stick to your recommended calories. 


Exercise is important and can improve your health greatly. Most people are successful with a routine that includes workouts at least three times a week. Include cardio workouts within those 7 days, for best results. Diet and exercise should always be consulted with a physician to ensure that you are following routines that are healthy for you. 


Get enough sleep as a lack of this encourages your body to put on more weight. Six to eight hours of sleep a night is the goal, and a great way to achieve this is to turn off all screens and devices and hit the hay in plenty of time to work in your needed hours of sleep. 

 Have experts as your partner to optimum health. For your hearing health, Beltone Dallas Fort Worth staff have accommodating and knowledgeable professionals. Call us at (888) 958-8432.