Do
You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight?
If
you are overweight, you are more likely to develop health problems,
such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer,
gout (joint pain caused by excess uric acid), and gallbladder disease.
Being overweight can also cause problems such as sleep apnea (interrupted
breathing during sleep) and osteoarthritis (wearing away of the
joints). The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to
have health problems. Weight loss can help improve the harmful effects
of being overweight. However, many overweight people have difficulty
reaching their healthy body weight. Studies show that you can improve
your health by losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds.
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Are You Overweight?
Use the weight-for-height chart below to see if you are overweight.
Find your height in the left-hand column and move across the row
to find your weight. If your weight falls within the moderate to
severe overweight range on the chart, you are more likely to have
health problems. Weights above the healthy weight range are less
healthy for most people.
Weight-for-Height Chart
Source:
Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, 1995 pgs. 23-24.
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What Is Your Waist Measurement?
If you are a woman and your waist measures more than 35 inches,
or if you are a man and your waist measures more than 40 inches,
you are more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure,
diabetes, and certain cancers. You may want to talk to your doctor
or other health professional about the health risks of your weight.
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What Are the Risks to Your Health of Being Overweight?
Heart Disease and Stroke
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability
for both men and women in the United States. Overweight people are
more likely to have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for
heart disease and stroke, than people who are not overweight. Very
high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats)
can also lead to heart disease and often are linked to being overweight.
Being overweight also contributes to angina (chest pain caused by
decreased oxygen to the heart) and sudden death from heart disease
or stroke without any signs or symptoms.
The
good news is that losing a small amount of weight can reduce your
chances of developing heart disease or a stroke. Reducing your weight
by 10 percent can decrease your chance of developing heart disease
by improving how your heart works, blood pressure, and levels of
blood cholesterol and triglycerides.
Diabetes
Noninsulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) is the most common type of diabetes
in the United States. Type 2 diabetes reduces your body's ability
to control your blood sugar. It is a major cause of early death,
heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and blindness. Overweight
people are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as people
who are not overweight. You can reduce your risk of developing this
type of diabetes by losing weight and by increasing your physical
activity.
If
you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight and becoming more physically
active can help control your blood sugar levels. If you use medicine
to control your blood sugar, weight loss and physical activity may
make it possible for your doctor to decrease the amount of medication
you need.
Cancer
Several
types of cancer are associated with being overweight. In women,
these include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovary,
breast, and colon. Overweight men are at greater risk for developing
cancer of the colon, rectum, and prostate. For some types of cancer,
such as colon or breast, it is not clear whether the increased risk
is due to the extra weight or to a high-fat and high-calorie diet.
Sleep
Apnea
Sleep
apnea is a serious condition that is closely associated with being
overweight. Sleep apnea can cause a person to stop breathing for
short periods during sleep and to snore heavily. Sleep apnea may
cause daytime sleepiness and even heart failure. The risk for sleep
apnea increases with higher body weights. Weight loss usually improves
sleep apnea.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis
is a common joint disorder that most often affects the joints in
your knees, hips, and lower back. Extra weight appears to increase
the risk of osteoarthritis by placing extra pressure on these joints
and wearing away the cartilage (tissue that cushions the joints)
that normally protects them. Weight loss can decrease stress on
the knees, hips, and lower back and may improve the symptoms of
osteoarthritis.
Gout
Gout
is a joint disease caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood.
Uric acid sometimes forms into solid stone or crystal masses that
become deposited in the joints. Gout is more common in overweight
people and the risk of developing the disorder increases with higher
body weights.
Note:
Over the short term, some diets may lead to an attack of gout in
people who have high levels of uric acid or who have had gout before.
If you have a history of gout, check with your doctor or other health
professional before trying to lose weight.
Gallbladder
Disease
Gallbladder
disease and gallstones are more common if you are overweight. Your
risk of disease increases as your weight increases. It is not clear
how being overweight may cause gallbladder disease.
Weight
loss itself, particularly rapid weight loss or loss of a large amount
of weight, can actually increase your chances of developing gallstones.
Modest, slow weight loss of about 1 pound a week is less likely
to cause gallstones.
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How You Can Lower Your Health Risks
If you are overweight, losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your
body weight may improve many of the problems linked to being overweight,
such as high blood pressure and diabetes. For example, if you weigh
200 pounds and are considered overweight on the weight-for-height
chart, you would need to lose 10 to 20 pounds. Even a small weight
loss can improve your health.
Slow and steady weight loss of no more than 1 pound per week is
the safest way to lose weight. Very rapid weight loss can cause
you to lose muscle rather than fat. It also increases your chances
of developing other problems, such as gallstones, gout, and nutrient
deficiencies. Making long-term changes in your eating and physical
activity habits is the best way to lose weight and keep it off over
time.
Eat Better: Whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain
your weight, you should take a look at your eating habits and try
to improve them. Try to eat a variety of foods, especially pasta,
rice, bread, and other whole-grain foods. You should also eat plenty
of fruits and vegetables. These foods will fill you up and are lower
in calories than foods full of oils or fats. For more information
on healthy eating, see the Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines
for Americans booklet that is available from the Weight-control
Information Network (WIN).
Increase
Physical Activity: Making physical activity a part of your daily
life is an important way to help control your weight and lower your
risk for health problems. Spend less time in activities that use
little energy like watching television and playing video games and
more time in physical activities. Try to do at least 30 minutes
of physical activity a day on most days of the week. The activity
does not have to be done all at once. It can be done in short spurts--10
minutes here, 20 minutes there--as long as it adds up to 30 minutes
a day. Simple ways to become more physically active include walking
to the store or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. See WIN's
fact sheet Physical Activity and Weight Control for more information.
If
you are not overweight but health problems related to being overweight
run in your family, it is important that you try to keep your weight
steady. If you have family members with weight-related health problems,
you are more likely to develop them yourself. If you are not sure
of your risk of developing a weight-related health problem, you
should talk to your health care provider.
A message
from NIDDK - National Institude of Diabetes & Digestive &
Kidney Diseases
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