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If you are overweight, you are at risk of developing diabetes and many other health problems.

How Does Being Overweight Affect Your Health?

The health risks connected to being overweight are very real.  Overweight people pay an average of $1,429 more in annual healthcare costs.

There is also an increase in the risk of death for obese individuals.  Altogether, the increased risks of death due to cardiovascular causes, cancer and other diseases account for over 150,000 excess deaths in the U.S. each year.

Body Mass Index Table

Body mass index (BMI) is a tool that is often used to determine whether a person's health is at risk due to his or her weight.

BMI is a ratio of your weight to your height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy; a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight; and a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.

You can use the table below to determine your BMI.                  Find your height in the left-hand column labeled Height.                 Move across to your weight.                                                      The number at the top of the column is the BMI for that height and weight. Pounds have been rounded off.

 Source: Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, September 1998.

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Risk Factors for Overweight and Obesity include:

• type 2 diabetes
• coronary heart disease
• high LDL ("bad") cholesterol
• stroke
• hypertension
• nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• 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)
• complications of pregnancy
• menstrual irregularities

Type 2 Diabetes

Overweight people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.  The reason for this is not known.  However, more than 85% of all people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke

Being overweight makes you more likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high levels of triglycerides (blood fats).  Some studies show that excess body fat may cause inflammation in the blood vessels and body.  All of these issues put you at risk for heart disease and stroke.

Losing only 5 to 10 percent of your weight can lower your chances for developing coronary heart disease or having a stroke. If you weigh 200 pounds, losing 10 to 20 pounds could improve your blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation.

Gallbladder Disease

People who are overweight have a higher risk for developing gallbladder disease. They may produce more cholesterol (a fat-like substance found in the body), a risk factor for gallstones. Also, people who are overweight may have an enlarged gallbladder, which may not work properly.

Fast weight loss (more than 3 pounds per week) or large weight loss can actually increase your chance of developing gallstones. Modest, slow weight loss of about 1/2 to 2 pounds a week is less likely to cause gallstones. Achieving a healthy weight may lower your risk for developing gallstones.

Osteoarthritis

An increased risk for osteoarthritis is caused by inflammation which is created by extra body fat.  The joints and cartilage can degenerate due to extra pressure placed on them due to extra weight.  Even a 5% weight loss can decrease this stress on the joints and lower back. 

Sleep Apnea and Other Breathing Problems

Overweight people usually have more fat stored in the neck area. This makes the airway smaller, which can cause breathing difficulties.  The excess fat also causes inflammation, which can cause sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea usually improves with weight loss. 

Cancer

The risk of developing colon, esophagus, kidney, uterus, and breast cancers is increased due to being overweight. Gaining weight as an adult even if you are not overweight also increases the risks for developing cancer.  It is not known why being overweight increases the risk of cancer. 

Surgery

Being overweight also increases the risks associated with surgery and anesthesia. Severe obesity increases operative time and blood loss.

What Does This Mean For You

Ignoring these potential problems will not keep them from happening.  Only action taken by you will have positive results.  If you begin a healthy diet and add a little exercise, you can overcome or prevent many healthy issues.

Being overweight comes from years of bad eating habits and a lack of activity. Changing habits can take time.  It takes at least 30 days just to change a habit. 

The process of losing weight and really changing your eating habits can be slow.  If you don't make a change, where will you be a year from now?  The same? 

If you start making changes today, where will you be?  Even if you are only partially successful, would you be that unhappy? 

Every step in the right direction counts.  The key is to take that first step.

If you are overweight, losing as little as 5 percent of your body weight may lower your risk for several diseases, including coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If you weigh 200 pounds, this means losing 10 pounds. Slow and steady weight loss of 1/2 to 2 pounds per week, and not more than 3 pounds per week, is the safest way to lose weight.

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