Is It Even a Big Deal If You're Fat

Images, emblems, and inferences depicting the "ideal" female form are pervasive in Western culture. Actually, many of these pictures have been retouched or enhanced, so they don't represent the average female body. Every day, we are barraged by media marketing products focused on slimness, sex appeal, and fashion, making the pressure to lose weight even greater. You hear over and over that if you lose weight, people will find you more attractive.

It is time to pay attention to our weight, but not for any desirable reasons, given the current demographic trends in western countries and the sea of high fat and high sugar paired with physical inactivity. Attaining and maintaining a healthy weight is more about health than aesthetics.

Obesity and overweight have become epidemics in the Western world.The prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in adults during the 1980s, with both men and women contributing to this alarming trend. Even kids are packing on the pounds. Inadvertently teaching our overweight children to make poor lifestyle choices is an increasing cause for concern. We are, as the expression goes, "digging our own graves with our teeth." Why, then, should we care about maintaining a healthy weight?

Type 2 diabetes is associated with being overweight.

Two studies on the effects of obesity on health were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in January 2003. The first look examined how being overweight is linked to developing diabetes and how much of a problem diabetes was in the United States in 2000 and 2001. Overall, the data are concerning, showing a rise in obesity rates of 5.6% among both men and women of all ages, races, and levels of education. Diabetes cases have also gone up by 8.2 percent since 2000.

Premature death is associated with being overweight.

According to the second study, among young adults, life expectancy appears to decrease significantly due to obesity. Researchers analyzed the association between BMI and mortality rates and discovered that a higher BMI was associated with an earlier death. A white male 20 years old, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 288 pounds with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, is predicted to lose 13 years of his life. Similar results were seen for women with greater body mass indices, who were predicted to age eight years more slowly.

Despite the fact that these reports focus on extremely obese individuals, millions of people in developed countries are overweight and have a life expectancy that is three to five years lower than that of their healthy-weight peers.

Both high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are substantial risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke in the obese. Joint issues are just one consequence of being overweight, which is also linked to diseases like diabetes.

There is no universally accepted ideal weight due to variations in body type and height. Rather, there is a healthy weight range based on your height. Body mass index (BMI) is one method of evaluating your weight.

Your body mass index (BMI) is a numerical representation of the relationship between your height and weight. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) can be calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by the square of your height (in meters). Several online body mass index (BMI) calculators exist for those who lack the metric system knowledge necessary to convert their measurements into empirical units. You can find one of these calculators at the URL below.

The tape measure around your waist is another indicator of your weight. The amount of fat accumulated in your midsection can be estimated from this. The following ranges of waist sizes are each associated with an elevated risk of health problems:

Please do not put on any more weight if you are already overweight or obese. As a general rule, people gain weight as they get older; therefore, this will aid you in the future. Take better care of yourself by adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a weight loss program that is nourishing, tasty, and beneficial to your health. Getting rid of just 10 pounds might do wonders for your health.