More than two-thirds of American adults are
considered overweight or obese. Excess weight may lead to heart disease and
diabetes. Creating and following plans for healthy eating and physical activity
may help you improve your health.
What is a healthy weight?
Body mass index (BMI) is one way to tell whether
you are at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. It measures your weight in
relation to your height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is in the healthy range. A
person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and someone with a
BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.
Another way to find out if you are at risk for
health problems caused by overweight and obesity is to measure your waist. If
you are a woman and your waist is more than 35 inches, or if you are a man and
your waist is more than 40 inches, your risk of disease may be higher.
What are the health risks of being overweight or obese?
Extra weight may increase your risk for :
- type 2 diabetes
- heart disease and stroke
- high blood cholesterol
- high blood pressure
- kidney disease
- non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (a fat buildup in the livers of people who drink little or no alcohol)
- problems with pregnancy (see box) certain cancers
By Hmad
