Obesity: Why It's Dangerous + How To Treat Being Overweight

Obesity is becoming an increasing problem in contemporary society (source). Not only are the costs extremely high to treat all the consequences by doctors, but also for those who are overweight.

The emotional consequences are often very serious, and that cannot be the intention. Obesity is a social problem that needs to be solved, but it starts with yourself.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

What you will learn in this article:

• How to determine if you are overweight
• What are the health risks of being overweight
• Useful tips with which you can tackle obesity today

When is it overweight?

You can measure excess weight in different ways. The most common method uses the ratio between height and body weight. We call this the Body Mass Index (BMI). How do you apply this to your own body?

Body Mass Index = weight in kilograms / (height in meters)2

An example: if you weigh 95 kilos, and you are 1.85 meters tall, the calculation would be: 95 / (1.85 x 1.85). In this case, the result is 28 (rounded). Instead of this formula, you can also use our calculator to calculate your BMI.

You can compare this number with the following table:

• Above 30: Obesity, or morbidly overweight
• Between 25 and 30: Overweight
• Between 17 and 25: Normal weight≤≤
• Less than or equal to 17: Underweight (is serious too!)
• It should be clear that you should read on if your BMI is higher than 25.

How does obesity arise?

It should be clear how obesity generally arises. The principle is clear: You eat more than your body uses up, so your body stores the excess energy for later use, initially as fat around the hips, buttocks and thighs (source). Later on, the stomach will also be added. This causes obesity.

So, in principle, there is only one solution: Limit the intake of food. Eat healthy and varied, and adjust the amount to your daily activities. Combine this with regular exercise, and you already have the basics of losing weight.

But first, a little more about the dangers of being overweight.

Why being overweight is dangerous!

Not only is being overweight very difficult, very expensive, and in many cases aesthetically undesirable, but you also run a great risk with your health. The following risks are by no means assumptions or assumptions. If you are overweight, you should take these risks very seriously! In many cases, the question is not IF you will suffer from it, but WHEN you will suffer from it. It may sound very harsh, but it is true.

Danger overweight 1: Higher risk of cancer

Due to various factors as a result of being overweight, the risk of certain forms of cancer is also much greater (source, source). In women, a lot of estrogens are produced by the adipose tissue during menopause. Due to this increased production, the risk of breast cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, and uterine cancer is much higher (source). In men, the risk of colon cancer is much higher in this case.

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Danger overweight 2: Problems with the musculoskeletal system

Due to the high weight, your bones have to endure a lot. This continuous load makes the bones stronger and the risk of osteoporosis (bone loss) is much smaller, but that does not outweigh the fact that your cartilage is damaged by the high pressure. As a result, you can eventually suffer from osteoarthritis, (low) back pain, and many complaints in the hips and knees (source).

Danger overweight 3: Cardiovascular disease

The combination of high cholesterol and high blood pressure will lead to cardiovascular disease in the long term (source). Especially if you also have diabetes. These problems eventually manifest themselves in the form of cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, or display legs (reduced blood supply to the legs).

Danger overweight 4: Higher blood pressure

High blood pressure is also the result of being overweight. Both the negative pressure and the upper pressure will increase, which significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (source). The longer the excess weight lasts, the greater the chance of higher blood pressure. This also implies that overweight young people are much more likely to have significantly elevated blood pressure during their lifetime.

Read here about how you can lower high blood pressure naturally.

Danger overweight 5: Higher cholesterol

Cholesterol is partly obtained through our diet and partly is produced by your body itself. The cholesterol that we get through food, we mainly get from animal fats. Think of cheese, butter, bacon, sausage, and other meats. All products contain a lot of cholesterol (source). By eating excessively, especially the aforementioned products, the cholesterol in the body will rise. Especially if a lot of fat is stored in the abdominal area, the chance of high cholesterol is much higher (source).

It is known that high cholesterol is bad for your general health and can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (source).

Danger overweight 6: Greatly increased risk of type 2 diabetes

There is undoubtedly a very clear link between being overweight and getting type 2 diabetes (source). If you are overweight, especially if this excess weight is the result of belly fat, then there will automatically be more fats in your blood (and also under places such as under your skin). These fats directly cause problems with your insulin sensitivity. We call this "insulin resistance".

Insulin is produced by the body to balance blood sugar levels. If your body no longer responds to that, this is the start of diabetes (source, source, source). But it doesn't stop there, because as a result of diabetes, you can suffer from liver problems, vascular diseases, problems with nerves, kidneys and eyes. Diabetes itself is reasonably manageable, but the consequences of diabetes are often many times worse.

Danger overweight 7: And a few more…

Menstrual problems, reduced libido, infertility, softened skin, wounds that heal poorly, sleep apnea, emphysema, asthma, and shortness of breath are just a few more problems that can arise from being overweight (source).

In the video below, dietician Janiek Vreeken explains how obesity is related to various diseases. In addition, she tells how a small weight loss can already have a major effect on the development and course of diseases.

The dangers for children

Being overweight is also very dangerous for children. The fatter and (over a longer period of time) you are as a child, the more difficult it is later to get to and maintain a normal weight. In short, actually even more dangerous than an adult who only becomes overweight at a later age. It is a fact that our children are getting fatter (source). To address this, we must first look at the causes of this.

I think these are the most important:

Kids don't play anymore

With the advent of the internet and social media, you hardly see children playing 'just' on the street anymore. Children no longer have physical friends, only 200 "friends" on Facebook. Children, therefore, live much more in isolation, with only online contacts. In addition, children are often gaming and surfing. Of course, the use of the internet, social media, and gaming can help children and is indispensable in today's society, but everything is in moderation. Children spend too much time behind a screen, instead of playing outside (source).

Children take an example from the parents

Adults are also getting fatter (source). That's a fact. There are several reasons for this, including not exercising and eating unhealthy foods. The children take this as an example, they 'learn' from their parents. Being overweight is then very normal within a family and the children happily participate in the unhealthy diet.

In such cases, there is clearly a lack of parental responsibility.

Children are seduced too much by child marketing

Marketing is a powerful tool of the food industry. It is their right to offer their products, but this is all too often seriously abused: Packaging all too often suggests that a product is 'healthy' (source). The kids accept this immediately and often consume these products in large quantities. The kids no longer know just eating healthy using fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and wholemeal bread. Here too, parents have an important role to play. In addition, something will have to be done about that despicable marketing, but that's a whole different story.

And what happens if a child is overweight? Basically the same as an adult, with the big difference that the chances of ailments are much higher. In addition, being overweight also has an impact on memory and social life (source). 

During puberty, these are two very important elements in growing up and the learning process about how to live life. A reduced memory leads to lower education, and therefore a less well-paid job. The social aspect should not be underestimated either: overweight children have fewer friends and therefore close themselves off more quickly (source). They feel rejected. This can have a huge impact on the rest of your life.

The dangers of being overweight for children are therefore the same as those for adults, but squared:

High time to do something about this!

How can you reverse excess weight?

If you have made the decision for yourself to do something about your excess weight, you have already gained a lot. But now it starts: To lose weight, and indeed to maintain it, you have to be very motivated. But rest assured, you don't have to be hungry. Losing weight is usually not a matter of eating less, but eating healthier. Of course, that healthier food should also be applied in moderation. Unlimited food is now a thing of the past.

I am not going to give dietary advice or explain all kinds of things about the foods you should or should not eat. You can find this information further on this site. Here I would like to focus on some important pieces of advice to help you succeed in your desire to tackle obesity:

Tackling obesity tip 1: Make clear agreements with yourself and your family

The process of losing weight is difficult enough for you as it is. Discuss this with your family and strive to tackle obesity as a family. If you and your partner are overweight, there is a very good chance that your children will also suffer from this (source). Make mutual agreements, perhaps you can turn it into a competition. This motivates both the parents and the kids.

Tackling obesity tip 2: Don't make a secret of your intention

Your immediate environment must also be aware of your intention. This has a number of advantages: Firstly, they can take it into account when you visit there. In addition, you can always fall back on them if you are having a really hard time. They are aware and can therefore support you. This social aspect of losing weight is very important (source). You can also find friends or girlfriends who also want to lose weight. This way you can support each other (source).

Tackling obesity tip 3: Throw away all unhealthy food!

Check all the cupboards, possibly together with your family. Throw out all those chips, cola, and other unhealthy and fattening foods. Yes, very rigorous, but it's the only way not to be tempted again (source). It goes without saying that you are not going to buy this anymore. Don't forget the 'hiding spots', both yours and the children's.

Tackling obesity tip 4: Make a weekly meal plan

Make a plan every week what you are going to eat (source). Of course, this should be healthy, varied, and nutritious. Make a shopping list based on this planning. Not only will you probably save a lot of money with this, but this way you will not be tempted to buy extra, unnecessary, things. If you don't have it at home, there is no temptation.

Tackling overweight tip 5: Exercise!

Exercise is good for your health, we all know that (source). During exercise, you burn fat, which makes you lose weight (source). In addition, you also get more muscle, which makes the fat burning even faster. The longer you keep exercising, the faster you will lose weight.

But start slowly: You have to adapt the effort to your current physical condition. Start slow, and you will notice that it will get better little by little. Believe me, this is very motivating!

Conclusion

Obesity is a problem, both for those who are overweight and for society. It is perfectly possible to turn the tide, but you have to do something yourself. Set reasonable goals for yourself and get to work. It's never too late!

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