CUT THE FAT- THE MEDICAL PROBLEMS CAUSED BY OBESITY
Obesity is a growing concern, and puts you more at risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, blood clots, and hardening of your arteries. Obesity is defined by being 20% to 30% over the expected body weight for your height. Morbid obesity is obesity to such a degree that it interferes with normal daily activities such as breathing. The medical problems mentioned above all increase your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke at a younger age and dying too early.
Obesity also makes it more difficult to recover from injury, to undergo and recover from surgery, and to go about doing your daily activities. It may cause you to have to quit your job. In its extreme form, obesity can cause you to become disabled and confined to your residence.
Obesity is a killer. Don’t live in denial of your weight problem. These early deaths are preventable.
As the graph below shows, 91 out of 374 (24%) of natural deaths that occurred in Travis County in 2009 and were examined at TCMEO were obesity-related. There are many other deaths in Travis County that the TCMEO does not see in which obesity causes or at least contributes to the death.
Age of obese individual (in years) at time of death
Obesity can be avoided or treated by eating properly and getting enough physical exercise. There are a lot of good approaches to weight loss, but before starting on any weight loss program, be sure to consult with your physician.
Perhaps more importantly, we should make sure that our children develop good eating and physical exercise habits early on in life to reduce the chance that they will become obese as they grow up. Set a good example for your children. Be fit to increase your chances of being around later in life for your children.
For more information:
Overweight and Obesity, Health Consequences - www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html
The Obesity Society - www.obesity.org
