Is Being Overweight Healthy?

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 The idea that being overweight isn’t unhealthy got a turbo-charge in 2013. That’s when a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that people who were up to 30 pounds overweight were less likely to die early than people at an average weight. 

A close investigation revealed major flaws in the study's methods, though. Turns out, our happy weight isn't so healthy after all.

What's more, decades of research show that obesity leads to many serious health problems. These extra pounds make you more likely to get a wide range of diseases, from diabetes and high blood pressure to dementia and cancer. Going up just a single skirt size over any decade between your mid 20s and mid 50s, for example, makes you a third more likely to have breast cancer after menopause.

The health problems tied to obesity, especially chronic diseases like diabetes, can have a long-term impact. 

"These are diseases you have to manage not just for a few months, but for a lifetime,” says dietitian Rachel Brandeis. “They impact your health, your wallet, and your day-to-day activities. You spend more time at the doctor’s office and more money on medication. You’re always trying to manage your disease and feel better." What's at stake, she says, is your quality of life.

Still, many of us have a hard time facing our weight. Brandeis says most people are "shocked" when they step on the scales.

3 Game-Changers

1. Know your BMI and waist size.

Your body mass index (BMI) is based on your height and weight. It’s a good tool to help measure body fat – and gauge your chances of disease. But it isn’t foolproof. If you're muscular, the BMI can overstate your body fat. If you're older and have less muscle mass, it can understate your body fat. BMI is just a guess at the link between your weight and health, says Sally Stieghan, a registered nurse and dietitian from Atlanta.

I'll sum this up, Being overweight for men is very serious, it puts a strain on your heart. It's a different story for women, Because women have to gain weight when they're pregnant, they have built-in protection for being overweight. But at some point, that protection is used up and extra weight can cause heart damage. 

The best advice I can give you is to lose your fat now before it gets harder. The older you get the longer will takes to lose weight.

Follow me on X, the former Twitter, @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.




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