About Obesity & Skin Problems

Obesity is commonly associated with diabetes, heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Obese people can also suffer from skin conditions directly related to the way their obese body is shaped and structured. Skin folds in particular can cause skin problems for obese people.

Stretch Marks

• Stretch marks can occur when skin expands during weight gain that leads to obesity. Stretch marks can be white, tan, pink or purple and occur most commonly on stomachs, breasts, upper arms and thighs.

Skin Tags

• Skin tags, which look a bit like tiny deflated balloons, can occur with obesity, particularly if a person is diabetic or otherwise insulin resistant, according to a study published in the November 2007 issue of the International Journal of Dermatology. They occur most often along the neckline and in armpits.

Candida

• Candida infections, also known as yeast infections, can occur in the skin folds of person who is extremely obese. These skin folds, such as the area underneath a very large belly, are moist and dark and create ideal conditions for yeast to grow.

Dark Patches

• The American Osteopathic College of Dermatology states that dark patches in skin folds, called acanthosis nigricans, can be related to obesity and can be caused by friction or because of increased insulin and other medical conditions. Dark patches may also be caused by a bacterial infection, called erythrasma.

Heat Rashes

• An obese person can sometimes develop a heat rash (prickly heat) in skin folds because the sweat glands in the folds become blocked and inflamed.