A weighty issue for many adults

Americans are getting heavier. And like our waistlines, this trend is growing. Unfortunately, this overweight is much more than a cosmetic concern. It is also a risk factor for some diseases. Archives of Internal Medicine recently published a new study that highlights the health problems associated with obesity over a 10-year period.

Researchers analyzed data gathered from two large ongoing studies, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professional's Follow-up Study. The volunteers were all healthy, middle-aged men and women who routinely submitted information about their health and lifestyle to study investigators between 1986 and 1996.

The researchers categorized the volunteers according to body mass index (BMI), a measure of relative weight and body fatness. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 is considered healthy, 26 to 30 is considered overweight, and greater than 30 is considered obese.

More weight, more health problems

At the end of the study more than half of all participants were diagnosed with high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Additionally, 2% of the women and 3% of the men developed diabetes. The risk of developing these conditions as well as gallstones, heart disease, colon cancer (in women), and stroke (in men) increased with the degree of overweight.

Diabetes was particularly influenced by weight. Overweight men and women were more than three times as likely to developed diabetes than their leaner counterparts. And, the more overweight they were, the greater their diabetes risk. Volunteers who had a BMI of 35 or more were approximately 20 times more likely to have diabetes than volunteers with a healthier BMI of 18.5 to 25. (You can calculate your BMI by clicking here).

Even small weight gains resulted in increased health problems. Men and women with BMIs at the high end of normal (22 - 25) were at greater risk for disease than those who were a little leaner, with BMIs of 18.5 to 22.

This study adds support to the claim that being overweight can cause medical problems. Other conditions that have been associated with being too heavy include osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and even death.

Prevention is the solution

A healthy weight is clearly beneficial to overall health. People who are already slim should try and avoid gaining weight, which often occurs as one grows older and becomes more sedentary. Most experts agree that losing weight and keeping it off is more difficult than preventing weight gain. So, make it easy on yourself, and give healthful eating and planned physical activity a high priority in your daily routine.