Over 50% of the American population is clinically obese with 39% being adult and 18% being children and teenagers. These stats place more than half of the American people at risk for developing conditions like heart disease, diabetes or cancer.
Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher are considered to be obese (CDC.gov). Body mass index is how a person’s weight and height are measured. Those who are identified as obese are deemed as having excess weight. The health risks with obesity lead to serious health issues and for some, even death.
What Causes Obesity?
The primary cause of obesity is taking in too many calories and not engaging in enough physical activity to burn those calories. Other factors that contribute to obesity include:
- Consuming foods with too many fats and calories
- Poor sleep habits contribute to a hormonal imbalance which causes you to crave high-calorie foods to boost your energy
- Poor exercise habits won’t get you very far in the battle against the bulge.
- Aging can diminish your muscle mass reduces causing slower metabolism which makes gaining weight easier.
- Genetics affect where and how your body stores fat and how your body processes food to energy.
- Pregnancy is a joyous occasion, but some women may find it difficult initially to lose the excess weight following delivery.
How Does Obesity Contribute to Early Death?
Obesity offers no benefits. While we may simplify the effects to material things such as having to throw out or donate old clothes to make room for bigger ones, the side effects of obesity run far more profound than that. An imbalanced body ratio in favor of body fat over muscle affects your internal organs and your bones. Next, obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes which completely changes a person’s lifestyle. It also causes regular inflammation in this body, and this increases the risk of getting cancer.
Obesity heightens the risk of death by causing health complications in a person. These health complications include:
- Heart diseases
- Breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and colon cancer
- High blood pressure
- Gallbladder disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Arthritis
- Respiratory problems
- Fatty liver disease
- Infertility
- High cholesterol
Each of these conditions increases the risk of early death in a person if left untreated and can worsen as your weight increases.
How To Treat Obesity
You can avoid the health risks with obesity, but it may require some significant steps on your part to achieve results.
Lifestyle changes
You will have to make changes to some parts of your daily routines including the frequency in which you eat, the foods you consume and the fluids you drink. Many people have achieved excellent results following diets such as the paleo diet, keto diets, and Mediterranean diet. Whatever your path, you will have to be consistent and committed to this lifestyle change.
Next, you’ll have to examine your exercise routine and perhaps, establish one where it currently doesn’t exist. Finally, you may need to involve your physician in ensuring you are physically ready to make some of these changes depending on your current state of health.
Weight Loss Surgery
Achieving results through dietary changes and fitness may not provide the results you are seeking. Depending on the risk to your health, your doctor may recommend medical weight loss and surgery to support your efforts. Bariatric surgery is usually the last result, but in those instances where the benefit outweighs the risk, it may be the only option. It’s important to note however that weight loss surgeries are not intended to be a quick solution nor are they miracle solutions.
You should take efforts to pursue a non-surgical solution before arriving at this place. Your doctor might prescribe weight loss medications. Again, medications should be taken with caution and shouldn’t be your first solution.
9 Things To Help You Live Longer
In summary, obesity can contribute to a poor quality of life and expose us to a number of risk factors. These factors can leave us susceptible to an early death if obesity is left untreated. But, on the positive side, we do actually have some degree of control over our life expectancy and you can avoid the health risks with obesity.
If you want to know exactly where you should be focusing your efforts to live a healthier life check out my free report Top 9 Things You Can Do To Help You Live Longer. The choices you make about your lifestyle doesn’t mean that you and your loved ones have to live shorter lives.
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