Another negative effect of obscurity upon other health disorders and medical problems has been tracked down. It seems that obese people cannot be properly diagnosed by doctors in most of the cases, due to the extra fat layers in their body. This may lead to an erroneous diagnostic or to failure in observing and tracking down health problems.

The increase in the obesity rate leads to a higher, almost double number, of inconclusive medical diagnoses. Scientists have investigated radiology exams conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital and reached the conclusion that multiple such tests have been obscured and "limited by body habitus." Tests such as computed tomography, X rays and chest X rays and CT, abdominal ultrasound tests, MRI scans etc.

Dr. Raul Uppot, lead author of the research and staff radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital presented the results: "While 0.1 per cent of inconclusive exams were due to patient size in 1989, by 2003 the number had jumped to 0.19 per cent, despite advances in imaging technology." And then commented upon the findings: "When radiologists read the film, they had trouble interpreting the film because the quality of the image was not very good because of the patient's size. What was most alarming was the increase. The number itself was small."

The problem with the layers of fat that lead to the deeming of accurate scans and diagnostics is extremely important and should be solved one way or the other, the medical team claimed. But it is not that easy, even if the medical technology doctors use is highly performant. For instance, it is true that the imaging power of standard X ray and CT scanning devices can be increased, but this also brings about a higher radiation risk for the patient.

Therefore, the researchers realized that "not only do obese people have increased health problems, but our ability to deliver quality diagnostic imaging to them is limited. A large patient can no longer walk into a hospital and say, 'I want the best quality care, let me get imaged and operated on.' If you're that big, there will be issues."