Obesity increases your risk of developing many serious health problems. There are more people with heart disease based on the number of overweight people in the U.S. than in any other country.

The condition of obesity occurs when there is presence of excess body fat. Your body is made up of water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. If you have excess fat, your risk of developing serious illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke goes up.

Obesity is known to increase your risk of developing heart disease. Having excess body fat means increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Obesity also causes increased blood pressure, which can cause diabetes. Diabetes is going to almost double a person’s risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.

The cause of obesity is consuming more calories than you burn every day through exercise or the physical activity that occurs during your day. If you consume too many calories, you are going to see an increase in the saturated fat and cholesterol levels in your body, which makes you more likely to develop heart disease.

How to Tell If Obesity is a Problem for You

To measure your body fat, you need to look at your BMI (body mass index) and the circumference of your waist. If you are female and have a waist bigger than 35 inches or a man whose waist is bigger than 40 inches, you are considered high-risk.

Your body mass index looks at your weight compared to your height. This tells you how much of your body is most likely made up of body fat. To figure out your body mass index, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply the result by 703.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the following is how your body mass index should be analyzed:

(a) BMI of less than 18.5 means you are underweight.

(b) BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 means you are healthy.

(c) BMI between 25 and 29.9 means you are overweight by about 10% of the ideal weight for your body type.

(d) BMI higher than 30 indicates obesity.

(e) BMI above 40 means the obesity is what is considered extreme.

The following are some ways to prevent/avoid obesity:

(1) Make sure exercise is part of your day on a regular basis. Adults should get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise 3 or 4 times every week. Children should get 60 minutes of exercise 3 or 4 times a week.

(2) Spend less time in sedentary activities such as watching TV, playing video games, or surfing the Internet.

(3) Find time for exercise or physical activity while you work, not just at home.

(4) Make sure you are eating a well-balanced diet, including 5 to 9 servings of fresh produce daily.

(5) Make it a point to eat smaller portions. Don’t buy the extra large meals when you go out to eat.

If you make it a point to focus on avoiding obesity, you are going to be happier and healthier. We all want to be healthy enough to enjoy a long life with our family, which is why we need to avoid obesity.