Do you weigh more than you should?

Do you weigh more than you should? If so, you're like the two-thirds of American adults who are overweight. About one in three American adults are considered to be obese.
Obesity is having a high proportion of body fat. Fat is imperative for storing power and insulating your body, among other functions. The human body can withstand carrying some extra fat, but not too much. Body fat can begin to interfere with your health. Obesity is more than a cosmetic concern. Obesity puts you at better risk of increased high blood pressure, diabetes and more!!!
The good news is that even self-effacing weight loss can progress or put a stop to complications associated with size. Weight loss is more often than not possible during dietary changes, improved physical activity and behavior variation. For people who don't respond to these lifestyle changes, other more involved obesity treatments are available to enhance weight loss. These include prescription medications and weight-loss surgery.
Although there are genetic and hormonal influences on body weight, ultimately excess weight is a result of an imbalance of calories consumed versus calories burned through physical activity. If you consume more calories than you expend through exercise and daily activities, you gain weight. Factors that
increase your risk of obesity include:
· Genetics. Your genes may affect the amount of body fat you store and where that fat is distributed. Genetics may also play a role in how efficiently your body converts food into energy and how your body burns calories during exercise.
· Family history. If one or both of your parents are obese, your chances of being obese are greater. This may be due to shared genes or to a shared environment.
· Age. As you get older, you tend to be less active. In addition, the amount of muscle in your body tends to decrease with age.
· Sex. Women are more likely to be obese than are men. Women have less muscle mass and tend to burn fewer calories at rest than men do.
If you're obese, you're more likely to develop a number of potentially serious health problems. These may include:
· High blood pressure. As you put on weight, you gain mostly fatty tissue. Just like other parts of the body, this tissue relies on oxygen and nutrients in your blood to survive.
· Diabetes. Obesity is a leading cause of type 2 diabetes. Excess fat makes your body resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps your body maintain a proper level of a sugar (glucose) in your blood.
· Abnormal blood fats. A diet high in saturated fats - red meat and fried foods,
· Coronary artery disease. This is a form of cardiovascular disease. It results from the buildup of fatty deposits in arteries that supply your heart.
· Osteoarthritis. This joint disorder most often affects the knees, hips and lower back. Excess weight puts extra pressure on these joints and wears away the cartilage that protects them, resulting in joint pain and stiffness.
· Sleep apnea. This serious condition causes a person to stop breathing for short periods during sleep and to snore heavily. The upper airway is blocked during sleep, which results in frequent awakening at night and subsequent drowsiness during the day
· Cancer. Many types of cancer are associated with being overweight. These include cancers of the colon, rectum, esophagus, kidney, breast and prostate.
· Fatty liver disease. When you're obese, fats can build up in your liver.
· Gallbladder disease. Because overweight people may produce more cholesterol, which can be deposited in the gallbladder
· Fertility and pregnancy problems. Increased body mass may be associated with fertility problems for both men and women.
· Physical discomfort. As fat accumulates, it crowds the space occupied by your organs. Some obese people can't sit comfortably because of fat in their abdomen.
· Social and emotional consequences. Overweight or obese individuals may experience psychological stress, reduced income and discrimination.