Obesity Problem

Many experts believe that it is not just the amount of fat but also its distribution that is a key factor in the risk to health. For example, excess abdominal fat has been linked to more serious health problems, icluding heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, than has fat in the hips and thighs. The reason is that the liver converts more of the abdominal fat into forms that circulate in the bloodstream.

Few people are truly ‘fat and happy’; obesity can have devastating effects on health. Because slimness is highly valued in our culture, people who are overweight often have a poor self image and are suvjected to discrimination.

Obesity can also cause such physical problems as shortness of breath, skin chafing and difficulty moving around, making it hard to enjoy a normal life. Obese people have an increased risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer. Other health consequences include damage to the weight bearing joints. This leads to osteoarthritis and disability, which perpetuate the vicious circle by restricting movement, leading to further weight gain.

source: Readers’ Digest Foods that Harm Food that Heal an A-Z Guide to safe and healthy eating

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 at 12:44 am and is filed under HEALTH ISSUES. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.