Heat Can Make Us Sick—and Fat

Published by DonDavidson on

We know that our world is heating up due to man-made climate change. (If you want to learn more about how and why that is happening, and why it may be a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, you can read more here: https://dondavidson.net/apocalypse-soon/.)

We also know that heat can kill—in the form of heatstroke,[1] for example. In fact, from 2004 through 2018 heat killed more than 700 people a year in the United States—more than hurricanes, floods, lightning, tornadoes, and earthquakes, combined.

The human body is actually quite adept at ridding itself of excess heat. When the body’s core temperature gets too warm, the body sends blood to the skin surface (which is why your skin gets red) where that heat is transferred to the surrounding environment. In addition, the body perspires, allowing evaporation to provide further cooling. But if the body becomes dehydrated, and thus lacks enough moisture for effective perspiration, or if the surrounding temperature is simply too hot to provide sufficient cooling, heatstroke is often the result. This can result in damage to internal organs, especially the kidneys, and can even be fatal.[2]

Dehydration is caused by the body losing too much liquid and/or not taking in enough liquid, especially when temperatures are high. Scientists have discovered that people who routinely become dehydrated are likely to suffer from short- and long-term health problems, which can include cognitive impairment, kidney damage, kidney stones,[3] kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even obesity. Let’s come back to that last one.

One of the primary functions of the kidneys is to cleanse the blood—and thus the body—of various toxins, which are discharged through urine. When we become dehydrated, the kidneys cannot do their job as well, resulting in higher concentrations of salts and glucose in the blood, which in turn have been shown to contribute to the following problems: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. And these problems are linked with various ailments such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Now what about obesity? First, let’s talk about camels. Camels are prized in the deserts because they are able to go for long periods of time without water—because of their humps. But those humps don’t contain water. They contain fat.  When the body breaks down that fat one of the by-products is water. So camels store “water” by storing fat in their humps, and then use that fat to produce water when needed.

Dehydration in humans triggers a chain reaction which uses carbohydrates to produce vasopressin, a chemical which does two things—it helps the body store water and it stimulates the production of fat. Both are strategies the body uses to combat dehydration. Chronic dehydration can contribute to obesity through the overproduction of fat.

To avoid dehydration, we need to drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated liquids—preferably water, sports drinks, and/or electrolyte solutions. And when working outside we should employ strategies to avoid becoming overheated, such as staying in the shade as much as possible, wearing a hat, and taking frequent breaks to rest and rehydrate.[4]


[1] Heatstroke occurs when the body’s core temperature reaches at least 104° F.

[2] Infants and children, people with cardiovascular disease, and people with asthma or COPD are most susceptible to heat-related problems because their bodies are less able to cope with the increased stress that heat puts on the human body.

[3] In the United States, kidney stones mostly plague the southeast portion of the country, where high heat and humidity put people at risk for chronic dehydration. But as the United States warms due to climate change, scientists predict people further north will be at increased risk of developing kidney stones.

[4] This blog entry is based in part on the following articles from Time Magazine: “Why Extreme Heat Is So Bad For the Human Body,” found at https://time.com/6202849/extreme-heat-health-risks/ (last viewed 8/8/2022), and “It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Consequences,” by Aryn Baker (a Time “Climate is Everything” email).


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