Many people don't know that there are numerous health risks associated with being overweight and obese. To get an idea of how big of a danger to your health being overweight is, we'll examine some of the possible risks involved.
STROKE AND HEART DISEASE
The number one cause of disability and death among people in the united States is heart disease and stroke. Hypertension is more common among those that are overweight. This condition is one of the major risk factors of heart disease and stroke. Other risk factors of these are triglycerides and increased cholesterol levels which are associated with obesity.
When you are overweight the heart has to work harder which is a factor in angina and death from a stroke or heart disease. Angina is when the oxygen to the heart is decreased causing a person to experience chest pains. Losing weight will make the heart work better and reduce the risk because the blood pressure and cholesterol levels will decrease along with the fats in the blood stream.
DIABETES:
The most common type of diabetes in the U.S. is Type 2 or non-insulin diabetes. The body has difficulty controlling blood sugar levels with this type of diabetes. There are other things that come with diabetes that are a danger as well. Kidney disease, stroke, blindness and loss of limbs can result from being diabetic. The risk of diabetes is double in those that are overweight. Losing weight can help to keep blood sugar levels under control.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR HYPERTENSION:
Twenty five percent of adults suffer from hypertension. Maintaining a healthy weight, watching fat and calorie intake, and decreasing alcohol intake can help to control hypertension.
CANCER:
Uterine cancers, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, cancer in the gallbladder, breast and colon cancer are at an increased risk with being overweight. Men that are overweight are more prone to the development of prostate, colon and rectal cancer.
SLEEP APNEA:
A dangerous condition associated with being overweight is sleep apnea. This condition causes a person to stop breathing briefly while they are sleeping. They will also snore a great deal. The more weight you carry, the higher the the risk of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can not only cause tiredness or sleepiness during the day but it can cause the heart to fail as well.
OSTEOARTHRITIS:
Extra weight is put on the joints when you are overweight. The cartilage is worn away when the pressure is increased on these joints.
GOUT:
Those that are overweight are at a higher risk of gout which is the buildup of uric acid in the blood.
GALLBLADDER DISEASE:
Gallstones and gallbladder disease are more prominent in those that are obese.
These are just a few of the things that those who are overweight are at risk for. The chances of developing these risks will decrease if you begin to lose the weight. The easiest way to lose weight is by eating properly, increasing your physical activity, and taking a diet pill that is proven to work.