Health Problems Associated with Being Overweight

It seems as though everywhere we look these days there are articles, studies, ads, and other pieces of information that are encouraging us to lose weight. As much as this may seem as though the world has become a place wrought with vanity, there are some very practical reasons for wanting to lose weigh beyond trying to achieve a certain appearance. The fact is that being obese or overweight can lead to a significant number of health problems, including increasing the risk of some very dangerous health conditions.

Losing weight, even as little as 10 to 20 pounds, can reduce your chances of developing some life-threatening conditions and diseases.

For example, among the scariest figures, being overweight increases your chances of developing some forms of cancer. It also significantly increases your odds of developing diabetes and heart disease – by far the largest killer among all diseases.

Studies have shown that the area in which you carry your excess weight can be a sign of how at risk you are for developing health problems associated with being overweight or obese. Visceral fat located around the abdomen area typically poses a much greater risk of cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance than fat stored in any other area of the body. Among women, a waistline of over thirty five inches means that there is an increased risk of these diseases, while it is a waistline of forty inches or more for men.

This being said, research performed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has shown that carrying too much weight on the body can significantly increase the risk of dying prematurely. The more a person is overweight, the more their chances of dying early increase. Even being overweight by as moderate an amount as ten to twenty pounds can increase a person’s risk of a reduced life span by fifty to one hundred percent.

Similar studies have shown that overweight and obese people suffer a much higher risk of sudden cardiac death, heart attack, congestive heart failure, chest pains, and angina. An overweight person is twice as likely to have high blood pressure as a person in his or her healthy body weight, and obese people are three times more likely to have high cholesterol and/or high triglycerides (also known as dyslipidemia) and low levels of good cholesterol.

Strokes are also much more frequent among people who are obese and overweight due to the narrowing of the arteries – called atherosclerosis – which can cause arterial blood clots to form. These clots are considered to be a pre-condition that occurs ahead of several kinds of strokes. This situation is made even worse when the obese or overweight person smokes, already has high blood pressure, leads a sedentary lifestyle, or has high cholesterol.

To summarize, health problems associated with being overweight or obese include:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Some types of cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Insulin resistance
• Liver and Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis
• Gynecological problems (including abnormal menses and infertility)

As you can see, there is a number of serious health problems associated with being overweight and obese. Losing weight to reduce your chances of developing one or more of these diseases in your lifetime, combined with the fact that you will have more energy and feel healthier, is all you should need to get motivated to make some changes. If you are not sure if you are overweight then start by calculating your body mass index using the BMI Calculator. This will give you an estimate of whether the amount of body fat you have is at a healthy level or should be reduced. Here’s to good health and long life.

Other Related Posts and Articles you May Find Interesting: “Diet Changes that Lower Cholesterol”, “Foods that Improve Heart Health”, “Link Between Breast Cancer and Obesity” and “Health Conditions that Cause Weight Gain”.