Are You Overweight or Obese? (You Might be Surprised…)
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008About two thirds of adults in the United States are overweight, and almost one third is obese, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001 to 2004.
Definition of “Overweight”
Overweight refers to having a body weight that is higher than set standards. This could be due to muscle, fat, bone, or even excess water. This can be a little confusing for some people. Many body builders are technically “overweight”, but this is purely due to the size of their muscles!
Definition of “Obese”
Obesity is when a person has an abnormally high proportion of body fat. High proportions of body fat often results in poor health. Even a person who is “only” overweight (but not obese) could still have a high risk of poor health. Being obese certainly doesn’t make things any better.
Effects of Overweight and Obesity
Here are some common risk factors for people who are overweight or obese:
- diabetes
- coronary heart disease
- high blood cholesterol
- stroke
- hypertension
- gallbladder disease
- osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints)
- sleep apnea and other breathing problems
- some forms of cancer (breast, colorectal, endometrial, and kidney)
Furthermore, obesity is also associated with:
- complications of pregnancy
- menstrual irregularities
- hirsutism (presence of excess body and facial hair)
- stress incontinence (urine leakage caused by weak pelvic floor muscles)
- psychological disorders, such as depression
- increased surgical risk
- increased mortality
Prevention?
The best way to reduce your risk of becoming another “obesity statistic” is to exercise regularly and eat the right food. Cardiovascular exercise is great for eliminating body fat and strengthening your heart.
Also, as great as exercise is, you’ll get much better results with proper nutrition. Wholesome, low fat foods are best. Avoid fast-food like the plague! Did you know that there are actually foods that burn fat. Try including some of these in your diet.
And one of the most important things is to create a workout plan. A good plan will help you develop healthy habits. Without a plan, you’ll find yourself falling back into old habits. And you wouldn’t want that now, would you?
What’s My Ideal Weight?
To help you create your goals, check out this body weight chart. It will help you figure out how much weight you should lose (or gain!).
