The Risks Of Being Overweight

There's now a general understanding, and certainly a better
understanding than there has ever been, that losing excess
body weight is medically beneficial. What may not be
understood is specifically how losing weight can improve
one's health outlook. The truth of the matter is carrying
excess weight can affect healthy, optimal bodily function
in any number of different ways.

Excess weight can lead to type 2 diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes
is also referred to as adult-onset diabetes and is a
condition characterized by high blood sugar levels. High
blood sugar levels are associated with heart disease,
kidney disease, stroke, and blindness, not to mention
circulatory problems that in severe cases can lead to the
need for extremity amputation.

Being overweight can lead to heart disease. Heart disease
is when the heart and blood flow aren't properly
functioning. Heart disease may result in heart arrhythmia,
angina (chest pain), congestive heart failure, or sudden
heart failure.

Persons who are overweight are more likely to have high
blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels (LDL
cholesterol is known as the "bad" cholesterol; HDL
cholesterol is known as the "good" cholesterol). High blood
pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels are each linked to
heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure is
additionally linked to vision problems and possibly
blindness, and kidney failure. High blood pressure is, with
reason, referred to as a killer.

Overweight people are more likely to get certain types of
cancers. Cancer of the colon, cancer of the esophagus, and
cancer of the kidney(s) are more likely in people who are
overweight. Overweight women are more likely to develop
uterine cancer and breast cancer after menopause. There's
also evidence that overweight people who do develop cancer
have a higher death rate than people with cancer who aren't
overweight.

People who are overweight are more likely to develop sleep
apnea than people who aren't overweight. Sleep apnea is a
condition where people stop breathing at various points
during their normal sleep routine. Sleep apnea can lead to
excess fatigue, poor concentration, and even heart failure.
Sleep apnea has also been linked to sudden death during
sleep.

These are but a few health risks associated with an
overweight physique. Yes, there are more. Being overweight
is almost an invitation to some form of poor health. Then
there's the issue of the financial cost should one become
ill from having excess body weight. Hospitalization costs
in the United States can turn overwhelming in almost no
time at all. You can also lose health care access entirely
in the United States if you're no longer able to work. From
this perspective, losing weight makes sense for health and
for financial reasons.

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Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance author. Read more of Zinn's
work at http://www.hubonline.biz/website-content.htm . Get
help with weight loss at
http://www.hubonline.biz/lose-now.htm .