The dangers of Obesity

Big can be beautiful, we all agree. However in the quest to make sure we all have healthy self –esteems, let us not forget that obesity can lead to serious health problems. Obesity is not always a sign of a person being out of control. It is a serious medical disease that affects over a quarter of adults in the United States, and about 14% of children and adolescents. It is the second leading cause of preventable death after smoking. The common thought is that you can simply determine whether you are obese by stepping on a bathroom scale. Obesity is measured by more than just weight. It is measured by a number of factors. Which include BMI—Body mass index and waist circumference.

Body mass index is a calculation based on your height and weight. Generally a BMI of 30 or more suggests obesity. However the BMI is not a perfect measurement, sometimes a person may have a high BMI but have more muscle than fat.

The second measurement is waist circumference. Studies have shown that women with a waist circumference of 35 or more are at a much high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension and
cardiovascular disease.

While beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, a beautiful person is not necessarily a healthy one. It is important to recognize that while we must maintain our emotional health by feeling good about ourselves, we can maintain our physical health by being good to ourselves. The best ways to decrease one’s chances of developing a disease are by diet modification and exercise.

For more information see:
www.healthyweightforum.org

http://health.discovery.com/

www.weightwatchers.com
www.intense-workout.com/weight_loss.html