We are often told that it’s wrong to judge others by the way they look, but we can attest to the fact that our appearances is a determining factor in social status, professional success and relationships; especially in our society where slim is considered ideal and healthy.
Overweight and obesity are defined as an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in different parts of the body that may impair health. Carrying excess fats do more than increase your weight—they increase your risk of major health problems like type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, hypertension, cardio-vascular diseases (CHD), Stroke etc.
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to face a higher than average risk of about 50 different health problems. These health conditions include the nation’s leading causes of death such as heart diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers—as well as less common ailments such as gout and gallstones. goo.gl/xTYOQ4
Trends in Adult weight
WHO data reveals that;
- Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.
- In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese.
- 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2014, and 13% were obese.
- Most of the world’s populations live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
- 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2014.
- Obesity is preventable.
Causes of Overweight and Obesity
The fundamental cause of overweight and obesity is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned. This imbalance between calories stored and calories burned depends on your genetic makeup, your level of physical activity, and your resting energy expenditure (the number of calories your body burns while at rest). If you consistently burn all of the calories that you consume in the course of a day, you will maintain your weight. If you consume more energy (calories) than you burn, you will gain weight.
These excess calories that are not used up are stored throughout your body as fat. Your body stores this fat within specialized fat cells known as adipose tissue either by enlarging fat cells, which are always present in the body, or by creating more of them.
Many factors can lead to energy imbalance and weight gain and these include: eating habits, genes, environmental influences, food and portion sizes, attitudes and emotions, life habits, and income. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4 for more information.
How to Estimate Overweight and Obesity – Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight for height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2). It is the most useful measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults.
BMI Classification
| S/N | BMI | Status |
| 1 | <18.5 | Underweight |
| 2. | 18.5 to 24.9 | Normal weight |
| 3 | 25 to 29.9 | Overweight |
| 4 | 30 + | Obesity |
As your BMI increases your health risk also increases.
Health effect of being Overweight and obesity
Being overweight or obese can increase your health risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease etc. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4
A Harvard study shows that obesity increased the risk of diabetes 20 times and substantially boosted the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and gallstones. The study also revealed a direct relationship between BMI and health risk: the higher the BMI, the higher the likelihood of disease.
Compared with people of normal weight, overweight people face a 22% higher risk of stroke. For those who are obese, the increased risk rises to 64%, according to a 2010 report in the journal Stroke, which pooled results from 25 studies involving more than two million people.
About 90% of people with type 2 diabetes (the most common form of the disease) are overweight or obese. A condition that is characterized by high blood sugar level, is one of the features of metabolic syndrome. If untreated or poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to a number of grave health problems, including kidney failure, blindness, and foot or leg amputations. Diabetes is currently one of the leading causes of death.
A study, which followed nearly 74,000 U.S. women, found that the longer a woman is overweight, the greater her risk of breast, endometrial, colon and kidney cancers. The cancer society says excess weight contributes to as many as 20 percent of all cancer deaths.
And because excess weight plays a role in so many common and deadly diseases, overweight and obesity can reduce your life span. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4 to know more.
Lose Weight, Feel Better
Losing excess weight can make you feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and can help you live a longer and healthier life. Exercise enables you burn up more calories, and will reduce some of your fat stores. When this happens, your fat cells shrink up and are reduced. goo.gl/xTYOQ4. Especially encouraging is the fact that you don’t have to lose a tremendous amount of weight to become healthier. Losing a modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of your starting weight can lead to significant health benefits. You could lose 4 – 7kg in 9days with No Special Diet, No Intense Exercise! and feel more energetic. Visit goo.gl/xTYOQ4 to discover effective ways to turn your body into a fat shredding machine.
Click on www.losingweightquick.com/healthyweightloss to learn how to turn your body into a fat shredding machine.
