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With so many people suffering from obesity these days, particularly in developed nations, it is important to understand the health risks surrounding excess weight gain. Obesity wreaks havoc on your physical body, and damages your mental state of mind; the cardiovascular problems associated with obesity affect both your physiological and neurological capacities, leading to issues like diabetes, depression, and most notably, heart disease. Heart disease is one of the most common and dangerous risks that obesity poses to people, so let’s take a closer look at the relationship between the two and what you can do to avoid engaging your body in this destructive relationship.
Obesity is defined as being overweight to the extent that a person’s BMI (Body Mass Index) is over 30. Obesity can be caused by genetic factors, such as a thyroid disorder, but it is most commonly caused by overeating, a lack of exercise, and a diet rooted in sugar, trans fat, and processed food consumption. A person suffering from obesity will have high levels of cholesterol and high blood pressure, the leading factors that cause heart disease. Additionally, obesity can cause sudden chest pains caused by a decrease in oxygen to the heart (angina) and has been known to cause sudden death from heart problems or stroke without signs or symptoms.
As evidenced above, obesity and heart disease and related and cause a serious threat to your health. The good news is that you have the ability to reduce the risk of these adverse effects now if you take your life back into your own hands and start developing healthier habits. Even if you are obese, changing your lifestyle to include exercise and healthy eating will decrease your chance for heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol; losing just 10% of your body weight will reduce these risks and get your heart back on track.
While heart problems and obesity can be caused by genetic factors, the ball is really in your court in terms of avoiding these dangerous health problems. You have the power to shape and control your eating and exercise habits—it is up to you to choose a healthy lifestyle and then make the commitment to live it day by day. Visit a nutritionist, make a healthy eating plan, join a gym or make an exercise plan on your own. All of these things will contribute to your overall health and sense of well-being, and will help you to avoid health problems that can impede on your enjoyment of life or even cut it short.
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