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Studies have shown that anyone who is more than 40% over their recommended
weight for height are twice as likely to die prematurely as those within
the guidelines, obesity is linked to several medical conditions including:
* Stroke and heart disease
* Increase in high blood pressure
* Diabetes
* Cancer
* Gallstones and diseases associated with the gallbladder
* Osteoarthritis
* Gout
* Sleep apnea, asthma and problems relating to the respiratory system
The more obese a person is then the more severe the health problems and
the risk of them can be, if you are 20% or more overweight then you can
help yourself and reduce the risk of developing serious problems with
your health considerably by losing weight.
Studies have also shown that anyone is less than 20% over weight should
also lose weight especially if any of the following conditions exist:
* There is a history of certain chronic diseases in the family - studies
have shown that if diabetes or heart disease runs in the family than those
who are overweight or obese are at higher risk of developing those diseases
themselves.
* If you have any pre-existing medical conditions - those who have pre-existing
medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol
or high blood sugar levels should regard these as warning signs of obesity
related diseases.
* If you are "apple" shaped - those people whose weight is mainly around
their stomach have found to be at greater risk of developing heart disease,
diabetes or cancer than people of similar weight who carry the weight
around their hips and are "pear shaped".
The good news however is that even the slightest weight loss can reduce
the risk of developing diseases significantly, even 10 to 20 pounds of
weight loss can bring improvements to the health such as lowering the
cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Being obese increases the risk of developing diseases due to the high
levels of cholesterol that are generally linked with obesity, the higher
risk of developing cancer is thought to be due to the high fat content
which is seen in diets that are high in calories.
The extra weight that is carried around with obesity places a strain on
the joints and can wear away the cartilage; this places the person at
much greater risk of developing osteoarthritis.
If you are worried about your weight and know that you are obese then
it is in your best interest to lose weight and keep the weight off.
Your Doctor will be able to suggest the best diet plan for your particular
needs and will put you in touch with a dietician.
By working alongside a dietician, you will be able to devise a sensible
eating plan which will enable you to lose weight over a period of time
with the aim being to bring your weight down to the correct weight for
your height.
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