Being obese or just overweight can be a factor into having a lot of medical problems. Besides the fact that being obese/overweight is uncomfortable, everyone who has excess weight is at risk for possible health problems, even if they are just 11 to 18 lbs over. Individuals that are obese/overweight run the risk to possibly have high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, type two diabetes, stoke, high blood pressure, and some types of cancer, such as colon, gall bladder, kidney, and post menstrual breast cancer. Often when people eat too many calories it will raise their blood cholesterol level, which in turn can cause heart disease. That is why keeping up with the level of your cholesterol is very important.

- People who are obese/overweight can run the risk of having high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. HDL “good” cholesterol is connected with lower heart disease and the risk of a stroke.

-People who have high cholesterol run the risk of atherosclerosis, which is, the buildup of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances inside the inner lining of an artery. This is also known as plaque.

-Unstable plaque can cause a rupture. If there is a rupture, it will cause a blood clot that will block the flow of blood through the artery. If the plaque blocks the flow of blood to the heart, it will cause a heart attack. If the plaque blocks the flow of blood to the brain, it will cause a stroke. If there is a block of blood flow to the arms and legs, it will make it difficult to walk and can eventually cause gangrene.

-If the blood flow is blocked to the smaller arteries, it will cause them to expand which. Which will effect the blood pressure.

Childhood obesity has also become a fairly common problem. According to the Michigan University Health System, 2003-2004, there were 17.1% of children ages 2-9 who were obese. (This number calculates that over 12 and a half million of young people.) Of the adults, there were 32.2% of adults that were obese, showing a staggering number of over 66 million. 5% of those men and women were extremely obese. Children who are obese in their teenage years or younger, runs a greater risk of being an obese adult. This also stems into many, many health problems. Those risks include, high blood pressure, heart disease, gout, Type 2 diabetes, pulmonary problems, gall bladder disease, liver disease, psychosocial problems, reproductive problems and some types of cancer.

According to statistics provided by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) about 12,000 deaths are contributed to obesity/overweight in the US in each year.

Those who run the risk of being considered obese, whether an adult or child, needs to be under a doctors care. Monitoring for and watching for any of the possible health risks that obesity can cause is extremely important. You and your children as well as any of your other family’s future, depends upon it.