Since 1980, the number of adults who have obesity in the U.S. has doubled. It affects millions of Americans. The increase isn’t limited to adults. The rate of obesity has tripled for children during this same time period. Find out more about the risks of extra weight by taking this quiz.
1. Being overweight puts you at risk for heart disease.
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Being overweight raises your risk for high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. These are 2 of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease. Even if you don't have high blood cholesterol or high blood pressure, being overweight may still raise your risk for heart disease. Where you carry your extra weight may affect your risk too. Extra weight at your waist and on your upper body may raise the risk for heart disease. Being overweight also raises your risk for diabetes, gallbladder disease, stroke, arthritis, and some types of cancer.
2. If you are overweight, losing weight helps lower your high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.
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If you are overweight, losing even a small amount can lower your blood pressure. Losing some weight may also lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. And it may raise your HDL (good) cholesterol.
3. Quitting smoking is good for your health. But quitting always leads to weight gain.
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The average weight gain after quitting smoking is 10 pounds. The number of people who used to smoke who gain more than 20 pounds is small. If you gain weight when you stop smoking, change what you eat and get more exercise. This will help you lose weight in a healthy way instead of smoking again. People who quit smoking for one year are about half as likely to get heart disease as people who do not quit.
4. A person who is overweight who has high blood pressure should follow a low-sodium diet and try to lose weight.
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If you are overweight, losing weight may lower your blood pressure. You should try to lose weight if you are overweight and have high blood pressure. Even if losing weight does not lower your blood pressure to normal, it may help you cut back on your blood pressure medicines. Losing weight may also help lower your risk for or control other health problems.
5. Eating less salt (sodium) can often help lower blood pressure that's only a little higher than normal.
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Eating a diet that’s high in sodium does lead to high blood pressure in some people. But a diet high in sodium can affect how well certain high blood pressure medicines work. Eating a diet with less sodium may help lower your risk of developing high blood pressure. Most Americans eat more sodium than they need. Instead of salt, use natural flavor enhancers such as mint, rosemary, chives, or cumin.
6. The best ways to lose weight are to eat fewer calories and to exercise.
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Eating fewer calories and exercising more are the best ways to lose weight and keep it off. Weight control depends on balancing the calories you eat with the calories you burn through exercise. Cutting down on calories, especially calories from fat and carbohydrates, is key to losing weight. Combine this with a regular exercise program, like walking, bicycling, jogging, or swimming. This can not only help you lose weight, but also help you keep it off. Aim for a steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week. This will make it more likely for the weight to stay off over the long run. If you are overweight, losing weight may also help you lower your high blood pressure and raise your HDL cholesterol. Try not to go more than 30 minutes without some form of movement or light exercise.
7. Skipping meals is a good way to cut down on calories.
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To cut calories, some people skip meals and have no snacks or calorie drinks in between. This often causes you to eat more food later in the day. You will likely eat more calories than you would if you had eaten several smaller meals earlier in the day. Instead try eating small meals throughout the day. This will keep you from feeling hungry. If you reach the point of being extremely hungry, you may eat too many calories.
8. Children who are overweight have a higher risk of becoming overweight as adults.
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A child who has obesity is more likely to have the condition as an adult. But most children who are overweight will not become obese. These things affect whether a child becomes overweight as an adult:
The age the child becomes overweight
How overweight the child is
Family history of obesity
What kind of diet the child eats and how much exercise they get
A healthy weight is a good goal. But keep in mind that children have different needs for calories and other nutrients than adults do. Any weight-loss program for children must allow for this. It is important to develop good eating habits during childhood. They will continue when the child becomes an adult.
Studies show that people who exercise are the most likely to lose weight and keep it off. Exercise burns calories. It helps build muscle to make your body stronger. Make exercise part of your weight-management plan.
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