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Health

How Excess Weight Affects Health Diabetes High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Heart Disease Cholesterol

Weight Loss Medications Surgery Options Handouts & Information from VA MOVE Website MyHealtheVet MedLinePlus (link not on a VA website)

Obesity can lead to many different types of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.  Obesity and being overweight are long term conditions.  There are many causes for obesity such as energy imbalance, overeating, genetics, hormonal imbalance, emotional factors, and cultural traditions.

Carrying extra weight involves so many areas of health. It is important to try to reduce our risk for obesity-related health conditions, such as those listed below. Pick the following health concerns that affect you to find out more about improving your health and living a more energetic life.  You will also see information on medical treatments for obesity including medications and surgery options.

How Excess Weight Affects Health

People who are overweight are at risk to have many health problems.  Overweight people are more likely to have high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. All of this can affect your heart and lead to heart disease and stroke!  Also, overweight individuals are at greater risk for Type 2 diabetes, cancer, sleep disorders, osteoarthritis and other diseases.

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Heart Disease

According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.  Coronary arteries provide blood to the heart.  When the arteries tighten, it cannot provide blood to the heart. The result is a heart attack. Each year, about 1.1 million Americans suffer from a heart attack.  About 460,000 of those heart attacks lead to death. Research studies data show that weight loss and physical activity can prevent heart disease and treat risk factors related to obesity. This is the first step to reducing the chance of heart disease! (American Heart Association)

So, it's time to lose weight to get a healthier heart!!

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Cholesterol

Your total cholesterol level should be less than 200 mg/dL.  Between 200-239 mg/dL is borderline and 240 mg/dL means you're at an increased risk for heart disease.  There are two types of Cholesterol:

1. LDL (Bad Cholesterol):  Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries cholesterol in the blood. This can build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. Your LDL cholesterol level should be less than 130 mg/dL. 
2. HDL (Good Cholesterol):  Some of our blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. It is thought that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver.  Then it is released from the body. Your HDL cholesterol level should be 60 mg/dL or higher.  If your HDL cholesterol level is less than 40 mg/dL, you're at a higher risk of heart disease.

People usually get cholesterol from two sources:   the liver which makes its own cholesterol and from food.  Saturated fatty acids raise blood cholesterol. This increases your risk of heart disease.  Trans fats also raise blood cholesterol.

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