| Why should I lose weight? |  |
by Renee Kennedy
Carrying around extra pounds can be detrimental to
your health. If you are considering starting a healthy
eating and exercise plan or you have fallen off your diet,
this article may motivate you to get in gear.
What Extra Weight Can Do to Your Body
1. Carrying around excess body fat will decrease your
energy level. Having just 10 lbs. of excess body fat is
like carrying around a 10 lb. bag of lard.
2. Your heart has to work overtime to support more of
you. Obesity has a harmful effect on your entire
cardiovascular system. Your cardiovascular system includes
your heart and all your blood vessels like arteries and veins.
3. You may develop breathing problems. For example,
sleep apnea is a breathing problem that causes you to stop
breathing for short instances during sleep.
4. Extra weight will take a toll on your joints. Obesity has
also been linked to Gout.
5. Women can develop problems with their reproductive
system including infertility.
6. Type 2 Diabetes has been linked to obesity.
7. Extra weight will put you at a higher risk for certain
types of cancer. Obese men have a higher risk of developing
colon, rectum, or prostate cancer. Obese women have a
higher risk of developing gallbladder, breast, uterine,
cervical, or ovarian cancer.
8. Being overweight may have an effect on your self-esteem
that, in turn, will have a negative effect on your overall health.
Assessing Your Risk
Body Mass Index or BMI is an estimate of your total body
fat. You can see a charts for calculating BMI here:
http://www.nutricounter.com/articles/bmi.htm
Weight loss is recommended if your BMI is over 30.
Weight loss is recommended if your BMI is 25 - 30 and you
also have two or more of the following risk factors:
1. If you're a man, a waist circumference of over 40 inches.
2. If you're a woman, a waist circumference of over 35 inches.
3. High blood pressure
4. High cholesterol
5. High triglycerides
6. High blood glucose
7. Family history of premature heart disease
8. Physical inactivity
9. Cigarette smoking
By the above standards, if you think you need to lose weight,
you should see your health care provider for a more accurate
assessment.
Need help losing weight? Come and visit the NutriCounter
web site and learn how you can lose weight and keep it off.
http://www.nutricounter.com
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