Dangers of excess body fat

By Bob Otieno

Most people’s primary motivation for weight management is to improve their appearance.  Equally important, however, are the many other benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Weight management, through reduction of excess body fat, plays a vital role in maintaining good health and fighting disease. In fact, medical evidence shows that obesity poses a major threat to health and longevity.

Excess body fat is linked to major physical threats like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. For example, if you’re obese, it takes more energy for you to breathe because your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the lungs and to the excess fat throughout the body.

This increased workload can cause your heart to become enlarged and can result in high blood pressure and life-threatening erratic heartbeats.

High blood pressure

Research shows that obese people also tend to have high cholesterol levels, making them more prone to arteriosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries by deposits of plaque.

This becomes life threatening when blood vessels become so narrow or blocked that vital organs like the brain, heart or kidneys are deprived of blood. Additionally, the narrowing of the blood vessels forces the heart to pump harder and blood pressure rises.

High blood pressure itself poses several health risks including heart attack, kidney failure and stroke. Most of all, heart and blood vessel problems are associated with obesity.

There is also a delicate balance between blood sugar, body fat and the hormone insulin. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs. When the organs are full, the excess blood sugar is converted to fat. As fat cells become full, they tend to take in less blood sugar.

Reducing body fat reduces disease risk. Evidence shows that an active lifestyle, which includes a good exercise programme helps in reducing body fat.

Moderate loss of fat (not muscle) and a healthy but active lifestyle (not dieting) lower health risks on overweight patients, improving their heart function, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, sleep disorders, cholesterol levels as well as lowering their requirements for medication. This eventually lowers the incidence and duration of hospitalisation, therefore, reducing post-operative complications.

So, are you willing to be patient and make gradual changes in your life that will lead to a healthier, happier you?

Once you have made the decision to go forward and accept change, the hard part is over. Sure, there is plenty of work to be done, but it really doesn’t matter how long this new process takes.

If you allow changes to take place over several years, your body will adjust comfortably and you will be more likely to maintain the healthy lifestyle permanently.

When you begin achieving improvements in energy and physical and psychological performance, the fun and excitement you experience will make the change well worth the effort. Just remember that action creates motivation.

I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a safe and effective weight management programme.