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The dangers of being
overweight or obese
Here’s the honest truth… you can die
from being too fat! And the fatter you get, the
greater the chance you could develop a problem that
can kill you.
In the USA, more than three
hundred thousand people die every year from being
too fat.
If you are
between the ages of thirty and sixty-five, and you
are as little as fifteen to twenty pounds over your
recommended ideal weight, your risk of dying is
higher than a person with a healthy weight.
And you have a staggering fifty percent to one
hundred percent higher risk of dying early if your
BMI is over thirty, or in other words, you are
obese.
Heart disease
If you have a Body Mass Index over twenty-five,
in other words classified as overweight or obese,
you are at risk of developing a heart disease. This
can include pains in the chest, heart attack,
unusual heart rhythm, heart attack or failure, even
sudden death.
Overweight or obese individuals generally suffer
from high blood pressure, so if you are overweight
or obese, and you haven’t had your blood pressure
checked, do so as soon as possible.
Diabetes
People have normal weight or who have not
gained weight have a much lower risk profile than
those who have gained weight. In fact an increase in
weight of between ten and twenty pounds increases
the risk of getting type two diabetes by more than
double. It is estimated that more than eighty per
cent of diabetic sufferers are obese, or above their
recommended weight.
Cancer
Research has shown that overweight or
obese individuals are at much greater risk of
developing some form of cancer. This can include
cancer of several different organs such as the
colon, gall bladder and kidneys. Women are at risk
of developing post menopausal breast cancer and
cancer of the uterus lining.
Problems related to breathing
Obese people often have sleeping
problems, in particular sleep apnea. Obesity can
also lead to asthma.
Arthritis and obesity
Statistics show that as weight increases,
the chance of developing arthritis increases, by
about ten percent for every two pounds gained.
Obesity and pregnancy
If you are obese and fall pregnant, you
are putting your own life and the life of your baby
at risk. The risk of high blood pressure in the
mother is increased by a massive ten times!
Other dangers related to obesity and pregnancy
include problems with labor and delivery as well as
gestational diabetes.
But the major concern is for the baby. Babies born
to obese women are likely to be overweight and can
have low blood sugar. This in turn is associated
with seizures and brain damage. It is also more
likely that a Cesarean section birth will be
necessary.
Another area of concern relating to obesity and
pregnancy is defects of the neural tube, for example
spina bifida.
Other health issues related to
obesity
There are a number other medical complications
that may arise from being too fat. Naturally you
should ask you doctor for advice. But here is a
partial list of medical problems associated with
obesity…
-
depression
-
gall bladder
disease
-
increased surgical
risk
-
incontinence
Social issues related to
obesity
Overweight people are often discriminated
against. Although it would be difficult to prove in
mot cases, the facts are that many companies,
particularly those in the hospitality industry, want
healthy looking people dealing with their customers.
And in the minds of most people, healthy people are
thin people. Well, if not thin, then not too fat!
And you have to admit, If your career requires you
to be active, then you need to be healthy and as
close to normal weight as possible.
Fat gain
or fat loss… bad fats versus good fats
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