Facts You Should Know About Being Overweight or Obese

Individuals who are obese or overweight have an abnormal amount of excessive fat accumulation and it can cause health problems for them. Did you know that your body mass index (BMI) could classify whether or not adults are overweight or obese? Basically if an adult has a BMI that is equal to or more than 25 they are overweight and if they have a BMI that is 30 or over they are obese. These are just benchmarks for assessing whether or not someone is obese or overweight, your doctor can help you to make that determination and explain what you can do to become a healthier weight. To read about more facts that you should know about being overweight or obese read the entire article.

The problem of excess weight is escalating and is projected to affect 2.3 billion adults worldwide by 2015 who will be overweight and 700 million who will be obese. Statistics show that being overweight is no longer just a problem of those in the high-income countries but the statistics show that those in low and middle-income countries are also on the rise especially in urban areas.

Are you interested in what causes a person to be overweight or obese? Most experts agree that obesity and being overweight is caused by an energy imbalance that exists between the amount of calories being consumed and the calories being expended. When a person overeats and then does not participate in enough physical activity each day to offset the amount of calories they consume that day the result can be added weight. Some factors that may be contributing to obesity and being overweight are a global shift in diet that includes foods that are higher in fat and sugars and lower in vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients and a trend towards individuals participating in a sedentary lifestyle, riding to work instead of walking and a lifestyle that is more urbanization and less rural.

There are many serious consequences for obesity including cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke), diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders including osteoarthritis, and certain cancers like breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer.

The fact is that being overweight and being obese are both preventable. You can take control of your weight by achieving a balance between what you eat and your activity level and you can limit your intake of total fats, increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts and limit your intake of fats and sugars. It is also important at the same time that you learn to control your diet that you increase your physical activity each day.

Talk to your doctor about your weight, how to become healthier and tips on managing your weight in a healthy manner.

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