Causes and Dangers of Being Overweight

Those persons suffering from being chronically overweight - obesity is the medical term - should know the causes of their condition and the health dangers involved. Once the causes of obesity and the subsequent health risks of obesity are understood then it becomes easier for overweight people to understand the need for a major life style change.

Firstly change to a healthier diet

The medical profession and nutritionists are of the unanimous opinion that obesity is caused my two major factors - diet and a sedentary lifestyle, with diet being recognized as the primary cause.

A diet consisting solely of processed foods, high in protein, sugar, salt, with plenty of fat, and without any fresh fruit and vegetables, is a diet with one outcome - obesity. In this case a complete change of diet is advisable to halt the progress of the disease.

Overweight people need to adopt a healthy diet that consists of plenty of fresh fruit (two portions daily) and vegetables (five portions daily). Eat a moderate amount of lean meat, poultry or fish. Nuts, pulses, grains and whole meal products should also be part of the diet. Drink alcohol products in moderation but sugary soft drinks should be kept to a minimum.

Good eating habits can be quickly adopted, and passed onto children. Similarly bad eating habits are quickly passed on to children, thus ensuring this problem passes from one generation to another.

Exercise to successfully lose weight

The other major cause of overweight is an absence of regular physical exercise.

Exercise can take many forms - a quick walk, jogging, running, playing tennis, squash, swimming, cycling - the list is endless. But for a person just coming to terms with the need to start regular exercise, then a daily walk of about 45 minutes would be adequate. This is enough to halt the build up of fat within the body providing the right diet is eaten.

Children whose parents are overweight are likely to adopt the same unhealthy life style of an inadequate diet for growing bodies, and a lack of physical activity. Children are just not getting the exercise they need to keep healthy and fit. Too much of their spare time is spent in inactive pursuits - watching TV and playing computer games, instead of playing outdoors.

A change in life style involving diet and exercise, together with a total commitment on the part of the sufferer to successfully lose weight, can provide a permanent solution for obese and overweight people.

Be aware of the Health Risks of Obesity

By failing to embrace a healthy diet and regular exercise obese people are vulnerable to the health risks associated with this condition, many of which are potentially life threatening. These factors alone should be enough to encourage obese people to do something about their condition.

These life threatening situations include some of the following:

Type 2 diabetes - considered a killer disease, it's principal cause is excessive overweight and leads to poor blood circulation, loss of limbs, blindness, and eventually death.

Chronic heart disease, hypertension, disease of the arteries, stroke

Some types of cancer are more prevalent in obese people - colon, prostate, bowel, kidney, and breast

Arthritis is more common amongst overweight people

In addition to these life threatening conditions, excessively overweight people will find it difficult to enjoy a normal life style. They'll experience difficulties in movement (lack of exercise will compound their problem) and in severe cases they may even have difficulties in being able to breathe.

Whilst these health problems are bad enough, an obesity sufferer may experience unpleasant social problems. The biggest factors here are a lack of respect from the public and perhaps more importantly, social discrimination, especially in the workplace.

Overweight persons are being helped to overcome their problem with a new fat binder product recently released on the market. This product has the ability to reject 28% of the fat from a recently consumed meal and prevent it from being stored in the body. It has been recognized by government agencies internationally as being an effective weight control product.