We all know that diet and exercise are good for us, but many of us don’t realize why these are important. Having extra weight on the body can significantly change the way we feel and increase our risk for certain diseases. Having been significantly overweight most of my childhood I can personally attest to some of these risks.
Heart Disease and Stroke
The risk of Heart Attack and Stroke significantly increase with extra weight. Heart Disease and Stroke are the leading cause of death among men and women. High Cholesterol also increases the risk of heart attack. This is one of the reasons we check your blood in the clinic. We look at the Cholesterol’s to see if you have any increased risk for heart attack. Even a small amount of weight loss can decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke significantly.
Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is another health risk with being overweight. Diabetes is a major cause of premature death, vision changes, stroke and kidney disease. This is another reason we check your blood work at the clinic. Type 2 Diabetes can be easily assessed by checking your blood sugar.
Cancer
Being overweight increases your risk for certain types of cancer. In women, these include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovary, breast, and colon. In men, these include colon, rectum and prostate.
Sleep Apnea
Increased weight can cause difficulty breathing at night. Many times this in turn adds extra work on the heart. Weight loss can help you breath better at night and take some of that load off your heart.
Gout
A joint disease more common in those with increased extra weight. Gout causes painful joints due to increased levels of uric acid in the blood. Weight loss can significantly decrease your risk of developing this painful joint disease.
Extra weight can affect us differently. Maintaining a healthy weight can decrease your changes of developing any of these life threatening conditions.
