<s>[INST] How does obesity cause high blood pressure? [/INST] A BMI above 30 is a major risk factor for high blood pressure. When a person is overweight or obese, the heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. This puts an excess stress on the arteries which in turn makes the arteries to resist this flow causing the blood pressure to rise. Source: LOC. Link: https://obesityasia.com/faqs/. Field: Endocrinology. Disease: Obesity </s>