Health Risks Associated with being Overweight

    Have you thought about losing weight? Being overweight can increase your risk for developing many health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, osteoarthritis, and gallbladder disease. It is estimated that about two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity are a result from energy imbalance over a long period of time. If you eat more calories than you use, the result is added pounds.

    Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and is a major cause of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke and blindness. More than 80% of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.

    If you have heart disease, you may suffer from a heart attack, congestive heart failure, chest pain, or abnormal heart rhythm. If you have a stroke, blood Exercising Couple and oxygen do not flow normally to the brain which can cause paralysis or death. Heart disease and stoke are major causes of death in the United States. People who are overweight are more likely to have high blood pressure and high blood levels of fat and
LDL-cholesterol.

    Cancer occurs when cells in one part of the body grow abnormally or out of control. Being overweight may increase your risk of developing cancers of the colon, esophagus, and kidney.

    Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder. Extra weight may place extra pressure on joints and cartilage causing them to wear away. Osteoarthritis most often affects the joints of the knees, hips and lower back.

    People who are overweight have a higher risk for developing gallbladder disease and gallstones. Gallstones are clusters of solid material, made mostly from cholesterol, that form in the gallbladder. Fast weight loss (more than 3 pounds per week) or losing a large amount of weight can actually increase your chance of developing gallstones. Slow weight loss of ½ to 2 pounds a week is less likely to cause gallstones.

    Americans are heavier now than we have been in the past. It is too easy to consume more calories than we realize. Fast food restaurants are convenient and often inexpensive Fresh Veggetables but many of the choices are high in calories, fat and sodium. Portion sizes are much larger than they were 20 years ago and are contributing to weight gain. Also, what you chose to drink can add hundreds of calories. One 12-ounce can of soda contains ~140 calories. The same amount of apple or orange juice contains 150 calories while water contains zero calories. Many of us are not eating fruits and vegetables which are low in fat instead we are snacking on chips, cookies, and ice cream. In addition to eating excess calories, our physical activity has not kept up with our increased appetites.

Body mass index (BMI) is one way to determine the degree of excess weight based on your weight and height. The BMI is not perfect since it may overestimate the amount of body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build and underestimate the body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.

BMI

Underweight Below 18.5

Normal 18.5 - 24.9

Overweight 25.0 - 29.9

Obesity 30.0 and Above

To figure out your BMI, you must know your weight and height.
    1. Divide your weight by your height.
    2. Divide this number by your height again.
    3. Multiply this number by 703.

For example: If you are 5 feet 6 inches tall and weigh 175 pounds:
    175 ? 66 = 2.651
    2.651 ? 66 = 0.040
    0.040 x 703 = 28.12 (overweight range)

Some tips to help lower your calories:

Drink water or sugar free beverages.
Choose low fat milk instead of whole milk.
Eat vegetables everyday. Most vegetables are low in calories: artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, bean sprouts, beets, bell pepper, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chayote, collards, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, jicama, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onion, rhubarb, rutabaga, spinach, summer squash, tomato.
Instead of drinking fruit juice which contains ~ 120 calories per 8 ounces, choose a piece of fruit.
Bake, broil, boil, grill or microwave your foods. One tablespoon of butter or margarine contains ~ 100 calories and one tablespoon of oil ~ 120 calories.
Trim the fat on your meats. Don’t eat the skin on poultry.
For flavor, use spices, herbs, lemon, lime, vinegar, onion, garlic, raw vegetables, hot pepper sauce.
When planning your meal, think of the food on your plate: ½ plate of vegetables, ¼ starch, and ¼ meat, poultry or fish.
Try to be physically active almost every day. (Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.)

For more information:

The American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org
The American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org
The American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org
The American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org
The National Cancer Institute at www.nci.nih.gov
The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse at www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov
The National Stroke Association at www.stroke.org
The Weight-Control Information Network at www.win.niddk.nih.gov

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www.doh.state.fl.us

www.floridaonthemove.org

Palm Beach County:
Florenzia Davis, PhD,MS,RD,LD/N
Senior Public Health Nutritionist

(561) 681-2524 x106