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Health Risks

In 1999, almost 97 million adult Americans were overweight or obese. And in the year 2000, about 400,000 Americans died due to poor diet and physical inactivity. This was the largest increase among all actual causes of death.¹

Being overweight or obese puts you at serious risk for developing many obesity related diseases.

Health Risks

Heart Attack

Excess weight puts a strain on your heart and you are more likely to develop heart disease even if you don’t have other risk factors.² Heart attack is the most visible sign of heart disease — cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. today.³

Stroke

Carrying extra weight puts a strain on your circulatory system, increasing your risk for stroke.⁴ Stroke can result in limb weakness, paralysis of one side of the body, difficulty speaking and processing language, and even death.⁵

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes may be the chronic health condition most closely linked to being overweight.⁶ It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and can lead to other serious health problems including heart disease, blindness and kidney failure.⁷

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

A higher body weight increases the risk of high blood pressure.⁸ If left untreated, hypertension can cause heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.⁸

Other Health Risks

Obesity substantially increases the risk of developing many other chronic health conditions: ⁹

gall bladder disease
breast cancer
prostate cancer
colon cancer
sleep apnea
osteoarthritis
respiratory problems

The higher your body weight, the higher your risk of premature death from all causes.⁹

References:

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1. Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2004; 291:1238-1245.

2. American Heart Association. Why Should I Lose Weight? Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/ 1041814212957WhyShldILoseWeight.pdf.
Accessed March 12, 2004.

3. American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2004 Update, page 3. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/ 1075102824882HDSStats2004UpdateREV1-23-04.pdf.
Accessed March 12, 2004.

4. National Stroke Association. Controllable Stroke Risk Factors. Available at: http://199.239.30.192/NationalStroke/StrokePrevention/ Controllable+Stroke+Risk+Factors.htm.
Accessed March 12, 2004.

5. National Stroke Association. What is a stroke? Available at: http://199.239.30.192/NationalStroke/HadAStroke/ What+is+a+stroke%3f.htm.
Accessed March 12, 2004.

6. National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases of the NIH. Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight? Available at: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/health.htm.
Accessed March 12, 2004.

7. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Diabetes Public Health Resource. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/faqs.htm.
Accessed March 12, 2004.

8. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Diseases and Conditions Index. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbp/ HBP_All.html.
Accessed March 12, 2004.

9. National Institutes of Health. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity In Adults: The Evidence Report. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_gdlns.pdf.
Accessed March 12, 2004.

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