Obesity
(a
body
mass index of 30 or higher)
The term obesity is used to describe the health
condition of anyone significantly above his or
her ideal healthy weight. Don’t be discouraged
by the term. It simply means you are 20% or more
above your ideal weight and you are not alone.
Between 60 and 70% of Americans are either
overweight or obese. Being obese puts you at a
higher risk for health problems such as heart
disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes
and more.
Obesity Statistics
- About 12 million (16.9%) of U.S. children
ages 2 to 19 are obese.
- Nearly one in three (31.7%) U.S.
children (23,500,000) ages 2 to 19 are
overweight or obese.
- Over one-third (33.7%) of U.S. adults
are obese (nearly 75 million adults).
Your healthiest weight
Everyone needs a goal and we need positive
reasons to achieve those goals. Even taking off
a few pounds can provide you with cardiovascular
benefits, so every step in the right direction
is a step toward healthier living. Consider
these reasons to work toward maintaining a
healthy weight.
When your weight is in a healthy range:
- Your body more effectively circulates blood
- Your fluid levels are more easily managed
- You are less likely to develop diabetes,
heart disease, certain cancers and sleep
apnea.
Obesity is defined simply as too much body
fat. Your body is made up of water, fat,
protein, carbohydrate and various vitamins and
minerals. If you have too much fat —
especially around your waist — you're at
higher risk for health problems, including high
blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,
diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
- raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride
levels.
- lowers HDL "good" cholesterol. HDL
cholesterol is linked with lower heart disease
and stroke risk, so reducing it tends to raise
the risk.
- raises blood pressure levels.
- can induce diabetes. In some people,
diabetes makes these other risk factors much
worse. The danger of heart attack is
especially high for these people.
Even when there are no adverse effects on
the known risk factors, obesity by itself
increases risk of heart disease. It also
harms more than just the heart and blood vessel
system. It's a major cause of gallstones and can
worsen degenerative joint disease.
Obesity is mainly caused by taking in more
calories than are used up in physical activity and
daily life. When people eat too many calories, or
too much saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol,
their blood cholesterol levels often rise. That
raises their risk of heart disease.
Is there a
solution? Try some of our
suggestions on the
weightloss
page and on our
Other
Health Products page.
Breakfast - Protein Shake - These are 2 of the
best high quality meal replacements we have found.
SiseLEAN
or LeptiTrim6
