Obesity. It’s a strong word and a difficult one for some people. 1/3 of Americans are obese and obesity is the number two cause of preventable death for Americans. Lung cancer from cigarette smoking is number one. Obesity is expected to take the number one spot in 5-10 years. WebMd.


Are you obese? If you are not obese, chances are the person to your left or right is. This article will define obesity, the dangers of being obese, and what to do if you are obese.

A person is obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. It’s a simple definition. BMI describes your body weight in relation to your height.
A BMI of 25- 29.9 is considered overweight.
18.5 to 24.9 is healthy.
18.5 or lower is underweight.

This definition excludes athletes, as they often have a higher ratio of muscle and lean body mass to height.
What's your BMI?

Unfortunately, being obese does not just affect your outward appearance. Obesity greatly increases your risk of the following diseases.

1. Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
2. High blood pressure (hypertension)
3. Stroke (cerebrovascular accident or CVA)
4. Heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI)
5. Heart failure (congestive heart failure)
6. Cancer (certain forms such as cancer of the prostate and cancer of the colon and rectum)
7. Gallstones and gall bladder disease (cholecystitis)
8. Gout and gouty arthritis
9. Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) of the knees, hips, and the lower back
10. Sleep apnea (failure to breath normally during sleep, lowering of blood oxygen)

View more info at: MedTerms.

Don’t panic if you are obese! Panic if you choose to do nothing about it. It’s good that you have found out this important information about yourself. There are many things you can do to get your weight under control. In fact, your weight is one of the only things in life that you can control. Think about it. Can you control situations at your work? Your boss? The crazy driver in the behind you? The economy? Your kids? Your spouse? Exercise and diet are still the two best options for fighting obesity.

We all know that exercise and diet are the two best ways to lose weight. With any type of exercise and diet program, it’s best to start small and define a goal.

Any exercise that elevates your heart rate will be beneficial to your weight loss program, plus you will have the added benefit of strengthening your heart and lungs. Walking, biking and swimming are great forms of fun exercise. Ideally you want to perform some type of cardio exercise 5 times a week, for 30 minutes each session. If you are just beginning, try once a week and increase as you feel comfortable.

As we all know, there are tons and tons of diets out there. The best diet is simple. Eat fewer calories than you currently consume. This will lead to weight loss. If you would like to get specific, 500 calories less per day will result in a 1lbs of weight loss per week. Doesn’t sound like much, but if I told you that in 20 weeks you can be 20 lbs lighter, Ill bet you’d take me up on that. Think about 2lbs per week of weight loss…40 lbs in 20 weeks!

Without clear, defined goals, not many things would get accomplished. Without a specific goal for profits, your company might not have enough money to pay you. Without a specific goal for education (finish college, get a masters) your kids might not graduate. Set a goal for your weight loss and exercise program. Make it simple.
I will lose 5lbs this month.
I will exercise 3 times per week.

Obesity is not your problem. Not doing anything about being obese is a problem. Starting small with exercise and diet and setting clear goals will give you a 95% chance of losing the weight!