Tips to lose weight: dangers of being overweight

Overweight people should not only worry about not being able to fit in small sizes. Weighing more than you should can present a lot of problems not only in terms of your social life or romantic prospects but also the quality of life you lead and the health of your body.

Obesity, to be technical about it, is classified as 20 percent more than the average or ideal body weight. The average body weight measurement can be found on body mass index charts in hospitals and even on the Internet. For people who have not reached the 20 percent mark, they are said to be just overweight and not obese.

But whether you are overweight or obese, the potential problems and diseases that can develop remain the same for both. In fact, both being overweight and obese can be deadly, especially if they are not taken seriously and if action is not taken immediately.

When you think about it, it’s not really obesity that presents the problem, but the complications that a person develops when they are overweight. Studies have laid out the number of potential problems that can arise when your BMI is way overboard. Furthermore, the risk of death increases as the rate of obesity increases.

Below are some of the dangers that overweight people and those who are obese may face. Read on and it might just serve as a wake up call to start eating right and crunching those muscles.

Hypertension.

This is perhaps the biggest problem facing overweight and obese people. Hypertension or what is commonly known as high blood pressure increases the chances of a heart attack occurring. This is because when excess fat accumulates, sodium is retained, which in turn absorbs water. Water flows through the bloodstream, abnormally increasing the volume of blood pumped by the heart. This makes the heart’s job much harder, putting pressure and stress on the organ.

Diabetes

Another problem that can occur when people are overweight or obese is the second type of diabetes. While the first type of diabetes is congenital, type 2 diabetes is mainly caused by a person’s lifestyle, particularly their diet and intake of fats and sugar. This happens because the fats in the body can make the body resistant to insulin.

stroke

The presence of an abnormally high number of fats in the blood, especially the bad ones called LDL (bad cholesterol), can clog arteries and lead to a stroke.

Osteoarthritis

When one is heavier than the legs can support, this puts undue stress on the joints in the legs and feet. Unknowingly, tears and wear and tear can develop in the cartilage, leading to this problem that is often seen in older people.

Sleep apnea

Believe it or not, your weight can also affect how you sleep at night. The more overweight a person is, the more severe their sleep apnea will be.

gallstones

This is also quite common for people who are very overweight, although as of now, the connection between the presence of gallstones and weight is still unclear.

Cancer

Because there are many conditions and complications that can develop when one is overweight, all of this problem can lead to cancer if not diagnosed right away.