Are you at risk for obesity-related health problems?

Although most of the marketing material for diet programs is focused on the cosmetic benefits of losing weight, one of the most important reasons to lose weight may be improving your health. Being overweight or obese can significantly increase your risk for serious health problems.

Excess body weight can lead to:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• Certain types of cancer
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones
• Asthma
• Sleep apnea
• GERD (chronic acid reflux)
• Osteoarthritis

How much weight is too much?
For most people, your risk for obesity-related health problems increases if you are 20% or more overweight. However, that doesn’t mean you should put off losing weight if you are slightly less overweight. Your doctor may recommend losing weight to decrease your risk of obesity-related healthy problems if you are less than 20% overweight if you have other risk factors for chronic illnesses. Risk factors that can increase your chances of developing comorbidites include a family history of heart disease, pre-existing medical problems, and a tendency to store excess fat around your stomach.

How can you lower your risk?
Although there’s nothing you can do about your family history, you can significantly decrease your risk for heart disease and other serious health problems by losing weight. Exercising 30 minutes per day is a great preventative measure, as is eating a balanced diet of lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The good news is, progress counts when it comes to avoiding serious illness. You don’t have to reach your goal weight to decrease your risk for obesity-related health problems.