Over the past few years, the news media has done thousands of stories about the dangers of gaining weight and what this means to both individuals and the country as a whole. Obesity continues to be one of the top health risks in the United States with 2 out of 3 adults falling into the category of being overweight or obese.
Experts have not been able to fully identify why obesity is such a major problem today but it is speculated that it has a lot to do with a more sedentary lifestyle, as well as poor choices in the foods we eat. These two things combined have resulted in a rapid increase of obesity across the country.
One of the ways to determine if you fall into this category is to have your BMI checked. Also known as “Body Mass Index,” BMI can be found using a person’s height and weight, and can be a reliable indicator to potential future health problems revolving around excessive weight. If your BMI falls in the range of 25-29.9 you are generally considered to be overweight. BMI numbers at 30 or above will put you into the obese category and in risk of developing several different diseases.
Unless you find viable medical weight loss solutions, some of the risks directly associated with being overweight are high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and higher risk of stroke just to name a few. The good news is that just a small reduction in body weight can help to reduce many of these risks.
Today, there are many medical weight loss programs that can help individuals to slowly and safely lose weight without chasing rapid weight loss options that can sometimes be a danger. Medically supervised weight loss is often the route to take and this is especially true if extreme weight loss is required. Your doctor is far more likely to offer medical weight loss solutions that will consider your current health and physical conditioning before making a plan to drop the weight.
