From Overweight to Obesity

Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29. However, there are a few limitations to the BMI calculations. For athletes or others who have muscular build, the BMI may overestimate body fat. Conversely, in older persons or those who has lost muscle mass, the BMI may underestimate body fat.

The fast paced life has brought along with it many health problems, thanks to high stressful jobs and competition in day to day lives. People have no time for themselves, which means eating out practically every day. Junk food and ready to make packets have replaced healthy, wholesome and nutritious homemade food. People live on these packaged foods which take a toll on their health which leads to health problems like obesity, overweight, cardiac problems and so on. Obesity and overweight are the two problems faced by most of the developed nations, especially the United States. As per statistics, close to 64% of the US suffers from overweight problems. People practically ignore the problem of overweight since they do not take exercising and dieting seriously.

Do not jump to the conclusion that you are overweight. It is advised that you visit the dietician and let the weighing scales pass the judgment. Unnoticed overweight problems could lead to obesity at a later stage in life, which is even worse and. There’s a wide array of health problems associated with being overweight and obese including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even cancer. Another common way to determine weight related health risks is measuring abdominal fat. This measurement is taken simply by placing a measuring tape snugly around your waist and measuring the circumference. High numbers, over 40 inches for men and over 35 inches for women, increase the risk factors several health problems, most notably heart disease.

So how can one lose weight and lead a healthy and robust life? If you have made up your mind on leading a full and disease free life, then you already are on the path of achieving your goal. A healthy lifestyle combined with the right diet and exercise is the right way to lose weight and fight overweight problems. The conservative factors mentioned above help in fighting these problems and enable you to stay in proper shape.

If you find yourself in a high risk category, lowering your BMI score and waist circumference will have a positive effect on your health and attitude, which in turn can benefit those around you. Small changes in your lifestyle can lower your current weight.