Health for Body Mind and Soul

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) overweight and obesity are descriptions of weight ranges that are much more than what is normally considered healthy for a particular height. These labels also represent weight ranges that have been demonstrated to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health conditions.

Risk Factors for Overweight and Obesity

• “high blood pressure (hypertension)
• high LDL-cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol)
• low HDL-cholesterol (“good” cholesterol)
• high triglycerides
• high blood glucose (sugar)
• family history of premature heart disease
• physical inactivity
• cigarette smoking” (CDC)

Diseases Associated with Overweight and Obesity

The BMI and waist circumference are good indicators of risk factors associated with overweight and obesity. Waist circumference identifies your abdominal fat which can predict your risk for developing heart disease and other illnesses. Your risk for disease increases with a waist measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women (CDC).

The likelihood of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol or lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and certain types of cancers is increased for individuals who are overweight or obese. A small weight loss of just 10 percent of your current weight can assist in lowering your risk of developing these diseases. A 10% weight loss will lower a man’s blood pressure by 6.6 points and a woman’s by 4.5 points.

Making the decision to lose weight and following through with your commitment is beneficial for your health’s sake.