Losing Weight and Getting Healtier

Obesity takes toll on your health.

If you’re carrying around extra weight, you’re not alone.

Between 60 percent and 70 percent of Americans are overweight, which means they’re 20 percent or more above their ideal weight.

The problem is simple: Too much food combined with too little regular physical activity can lead to unhealthy weight gain and obesity. But the life-threatening health problems caused by obesity aren’t simple at all.

Being obese puts a huge strain on your heart, increasing the work it has to do. Too much weight raises your risk for cancer. It also raises your blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It can make diabetes more likely to develop, too.

Getting Healthier
If you’re not sure if you weigh too much, start by learning your body mass index or BMI.

The next step is to remember that losing the weight isn’t hopeless. Even dropping as few as 10 pounds can lower your risk of heart disease and help you feel better.

Keep losing weight, and you’ll probably experience fewer joint and muscle pains, regulate your blood pressure, reduce the burden on your heart and circulatory system and even sleep better.

“The initial emphasis should be placed on eating less,” Dr. Eckel said. “A deficit of 500 calories a day predicts one pound lost per week. More physical activity is also important but perhaps more so to maintain the weight loss once the weight is down.” 
  

Getting ActiveEven if you’ve never exercised — or if it has been years — it’s easy to get active with these tips. (Generally, you do not need to consult a healthcare provider before becoming physically active unless you have a chronic condition. Healthcare providers can help you attain and maintain regular physical activity by providing advice on appropriate types and amounts for your individual needs.)

• Do housework yourself instead of hiring someone else to do it.
   
• Work in the garden or mow the grass. Using a riding mower doesn't count! Rake leaves, prune, dig and pick up trash.
   
• Go out for a short walk before breakfast, after dinner or both! Start with 5-10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes.
   
• Walk or bike to the corner store instead of driving.
   
• When walking, pick up the pace from leisurely to brisk. Choose a hilly route. When watching TV, sit up instead of lying on the sofa. Or stretch. Better yet, spend a few minutes pedaling on your stationary bicycle while watching TV — and hide the remote control.
   
• Stand up while talking on the telephone.
   
• Walk the dog.
   
• Park farther away at the shopping mall and walk the extra distance. Wear your walking shoes and sneak in an extra lap or two around the mall.
   
• Stretch to reach items in high places and squat or bend to look at items at floor level.
   
• Keep exercise equipment repaired — and use it!