How Being Overweight Affects Your Health

 With a new year approaching, the focus turns to weight loss for many, and fitting into new or old clothes. Everyone wants to feel good about how they look. But being overweight affects more than what you view in the mirror. Being overweight or obese has a big impact on your health. If you are overweight, you are more likely to:develop health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, gout (joint pain caused by excess uric acid), and gall bladder disease.develop problems such as sleep apnea (interrupted breathing during sleep) and osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints).The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to have health problems.Weight loss can help improve the harmful effects of being overweight. Studies show that you can dramatically improve your health by losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds. 
Are You Overweight?If you are a woman and your waist measures more than 35 inches, or if you are a man and your waist measures more than 40 inches, you are more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers. You may want to talk to your doctor or other health professional about the health risks of your weight.The Diabetes FactorNon insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) is the most common type of diabetes in the United States. Type 2 diabetes reduces your bodys ability to control your blood sugar and is a major cause of early death, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and blindness. People who are overweight are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as people who are not overweight. You can reduce your risk of developing this type of diabetes by losing weight and by increasing your physical activity.If you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight and becoming more physically active can help control your blood sugar levels. If you use medicine to control your blood sugar, weight loss and physical activity may make it possible for your doctor to decrease the amount of medication you need.What to DoIf you are overweight, losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight may improve many of the problems linked to being overweight, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Slow and steady weight loss of no more than 1 pound per week is the safest way to lose weight. Very rapid weight loss can cause you to lose muscle rather than fat. It also increases your chances of developing other problems, such as gall stones, gout, and nutrient deficiencies. Making long-term changes in your eating and physical activity habits is the best way to lose weight and keep it off over time.Eat Better: Whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain your weight, you should take a look at your eating habits and try to improve them. Try to eat a variety of foods, especially pasta, rice, bread, and other whole-grain foods. You should also eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods will fill you up and are lower in calories than foods full of oils or fats.Increase Physical Activity:Making physical activity a part of your daily life is an important way to help control your weight and lower your risk for health problems. Spend less time in activities that use little energy like watching television and playing video games and more time in physical activities. Try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. The activity does not have to be done all at once. It can be done in short spurts  10 minutes here, 20 minutes thereas long as it adds up to 30 minutes a day. Simple ways to become more physically active include walking to the store or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.Maintaining a Healthy Weight is ImportantIf you are not overweight but health problems related to being overweight run in your family, it is important that you try to keep your weight steady.If you have family members with weight-related health problems, you are more likely to develop them yourself.