Print these questions and answers to discuss with your health care provider.
1. Can being overweight lead to medical problems?
Yes. Being overweight is linked to a number of health problems, including:
- Heart disease and stroke
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Gallbladder disease and gallstones
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing
for a short time during sleep) and asthma
2. How do I know if I am obese?
Obesity is defined as an excess proportion of total body fat. The most
common measure of obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measure of
weight in relation to height. A person is considered obese when his or her BMI
is greater than 30.
3. Is any fat healthy?
A certain amount of fat in the diet is good and necessary to be
healthy. When you do eat fat, make sure it is not high in the bad (saturated)
fat, but has more of the unsaturated fat, such as fat that comes from nuts,
grains, and vegetable sources. Studies confirm that Americans have too high a
fat intake. This increases health risks, so decreasing total fat intake would be
healthy for most people.
4. What steps should I take to lose weight?
- Decide you want to permanently lose weight.
- Educate yourself.
- Have a realistic goal in mind.
- Formulate a structured treatment plan with your doctor and/or dietitian and receive proper follow-up.
- Schedule exercise.
5. What type of exercise is best?
It does not matter what type of physical activity you perform -- sports,
planned exercise, household chores, yard work, or work-related tasks -- all are beneficial.
Over the past few years, exercise advertisements have
targeted simplified exercise routines for weight reduction and maintenance. Some
exercise advertisements sell the belief that one machine will work your entire
body and give you the results you need. However, many of these machines may only
be good for one type of conditioning, such as cardiovascular; these machines
also have limitations to the type of exercise you can do and they are not good
for everyone. To determine the best type of exercise program for you, talk to
your doctor and a certified athletic trainer.
6. How much exercise should I do?
Studies show that even the most inactive people can gain significant health
benefits if they accumulate just 30 minutes or more of physical activity per day.