Can Excess Fat Kill You

Ask Dr. Steve

Dr. Steve,

My Dad died from a heart attack and my Mom died from diabetes. She was obese as well. I just turned 48 and I am about 35 pounds overweight. Thats not too much is it Am I at risk

Todd G.
Madison, WI

Todd,

Your primary motivation for weight management should be good health. Weight management through reduction of excess body fat plays a vital role in maintaining good health and fighting disease. Obesity poses a major threat to health and longevity.

An estimated one in five Americans is obese. Excess body fat is linked to major physical threats like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (Three out of four Americans die of either heart disease or cancer each year; according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, approximately 80 percent of those deaths are associated with life-style factors, including inactivity.)

Obese people tend to have high cholesterol levels,calcium propionate supplier, making them more prone to arteriosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries by deposits of plaque. This becomes life-threatening when blood vessels become so narrow or blocked that vital organs like the brain,2593405, heart or kidneys are deprived of blood.

Additionally, the narrowing of the blood vessels forces the heart to pump harder, and blood pressure rises. High blood pressure itself poses several health risks, including heart attack, kidney failure, and stroke. About 25 percent of all heart and blood vessel problems are associated with obesity.

Clinical studies have found a relationship between excess body fat and the incidence of cancer. By itself, body fat is thought to be a storage place for carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) in both men and women. In women, excess body fat has been linked to a higher rate of breast and uterine cancer; in men, the threat comes from colon and prostate cancer.

There is also a delicate balance between blood sugar, body fat, and the hormone insulin. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs; when the organs are "full,Guar Gum Factory," the excess blood sugar is converted to fat.

As fat cells themselves become full, they tend to take in less blood sugar. In some obese people,57-87-4, the pancreas produces more and more insulin, which the body can't use,Grape seed oil manufacturer, to regulate blood sugar levels, and the whole system becomes overwhelmed.

Poor regulation of blood sugar and insulin results in diabetes, a disease with long-term consequences,coffee creamer, including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and death. Excess body fat is also linked to gall bladder disease, gastro-intestinal disease, sexual dysfunction, osteoarthritis, and stroke.

The good news is that reducing body fat reduces the risk of disease. In fact, body fat reduction is a more powerful modulator of cardiac structure than drug therapy.

For people with a family history of heart disease,E420, an active lifestyle can slow or stop the process for all but those with serious genetic disorders. Regular physical activity, a low-fat diet and a stress reduction program can even reverse the heart disease process.

An active lifestyle, with its help in reducing body fat,50-21-5, is associated with a reduced risk for some types of cancers: prostate for men, breast and uterine cancers for women.

The average American gains at least one pound a year after age 25. By the time you're 50, you're likely to gain 25 pounds of fat, or more. In addition, your metabolism is also slowing down, causing your body to work less efficiently at burning the fat it has.

Few Americans exercise in any significant way. In fact, the average American gets less than 50 minutes of exercise per week. Even worse, two out of five Americans are completely sedentary.

There is hope. Moderate weight loss (of fat, not muscle) and a healthy and active lifestyle (remember you are making new life changing habits not dieting) have been found to lower health risks and medical problems in 90 percent of overweight patients.

If you are willing to be patient and make gradual changes in your life you will become healthier and happier. Once you have made the decision to go forward and accept change, the hardest part is over.

There are three critical building blocks that must be stacked together to achieve weight loss: eating healthier and smaller portions (consuming fewer calories), increasing expenditure of energy through simple exercise (using up more calories) and having the mind set (mental discipline) to change your habits into a positive life program of health and vitality.