Are You Aware Of How Dangerous The Risks Of Obesity Are?
While obesity itself does not technically kill people, between 100,000 to 400,000 Americans die from the diseases that come with it each year. Even at the lower estimates, it is still a huge death toll; much higher than other causes of death which receive a lot more press attention.
So, who exactly is classed as being obese? A formula called the body mass index (or simply BMI) is used to work out who is obese and who is overweight. While those with BMIs of between 25 and 29 are classified as being overweight, those at 30 to 40 are considered obese.
Remember that the heart must pump blood 24 hours a day to supply and move this extra weight, and there is no replacing a heart if it fails. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, and those with a BMI of above 25 have at least twice the risk of dying from it.
As over 80% of people suffering from Type 2 Diabetes are also overweight, there is a clear link between obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, cancer has long been a killer many feared, and it appears that being overweight increases the risk of some types of cancers, including colon, kidney and esophagus.
Those are just some of the fatal diseases to have been directly linked to being obese. Diseases which are usually not life threatening, but greatly affect quality of life are also a much greater risk for those who are overweight.
Those who are obese need to need to do something about it if they are serious about their health. While there is a lot of information out there, it is advisable to check with a physician and use some common sense.
By first being aware of the dangers of obesity, people can hopefully be motivated to lose weight. Those at risk should check their BMI and take action today.
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