Will a Little Extra Weight Hurt You? It Sure Could!
WILL A LITTLE EXTRA WEIGHT HURT YOU? IT SURE COULD!
If I’m a little overweight, it’s not going to cause any major health problems. Right? That’s a rationalization that a lot of people use About the weight they are gaining. The facts are that being a little overweight can cause some serious health problems. And if you are a little overweight, you probably will continue to keep gaining weight, unless you make a conscious effort to start a sensible program to lose some pounds and control your weight. That doesn’t mean going on a crash diet.
Too, overweight and obesity is a national health problem.The National Institutes of Health indicate that over half of U.S. adults are overweight – having an excess of bodyweight compared to a set of national standards.
Specifically, 54.9 percent of all adults 20 years of age or older, 50.7 percent of women 20 years of age or older and 59.4 percent of men 20 years of age or older are overweight.
More importantly, the number of overweight individuals in the United States continues to rise for all age groups.
Why Is It So important For All Of Us To Maintain A Healthy Weight?
There are many good reasons why you should try to maintain a health weight. According to government health authorities, overweight and obesity are known risk factors for a number of serious illnesses and health problems, including:
- diabetes
- heart disease
- stroke
- hypertension
- gallbladder disease
- osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints
- sleep apnea and other breathing problems
- some forms of cancer (uterine, breast, colorectal, kidney, and gallbladder
- irregular periods
So How Can You Tell If You Are Overweight?
Most people know if they are overweight without even weighing themselves – the clothes start getting tighter, the face gets fuller, and hips, abdomen, and buttocks start to spread out.
But if you are not sure, you can use a simple procedure know as The Body Mass Index (BMI). It gives you a much better general indication of whether or not you are over weight. It measures your weight in relation to your height and will give you a general idea of whether you have a healthy weight, are overweight or are obese. You can check out your own BMI at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.
For more information on the causes of overweight and obesity and what you can do to maintain a healthy weight, check out my book:
Fodor, J.T. (2007). Maintaining Your Health and Vitality: A Health Guide for Seniors and Their Families, Chapter 4, You Don’t Need That Extra Baggage: Preventing Overweight and Obesity. Bangor, Maine: Booklocker.Com.