Dangers of being Overweight
If science doesn’t lie, then obesity is unhealthy, expensive and it’s a rapidly growing problem. A study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that over 65% of Americans are overweight or obese. As the figures rise, so do the associated health problems and accompanying medical costs, estimated to be at nearly $150 billion annually in the U.S. With more than 15% of American children currently obese, it’s not going to stop anytime soon. Let’s start by talking about what it means to be overweight.
Everybody has a healthy weight range, but if you’re outside of the range, there can be significant physical consequences. The degree to which you exceed the range determines whether you are “overweight” or “obese.” Health practitioners say that weighing more than 20% above the range is obese, while “overweight” is less than 20% (but a number above 25 on Body Mass Index). While being obese is associated with greater complications, being overweight can hold an equal number of dangers like heart disease, cancer, gallstones, diabetes, strokes and suffocation.
