- Obesity is a condition wherein an individual has excessive amounts of body fat. Scientifically speaking, obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) measurement of greater than 30. It is a measure of the total body fat on a person, not just the number of pounds he or she weighs. Being obese increases an individual's risk of many severe health conditions, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, stroke, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis.
- Coronary heart disease, the most common heart condition, occurs when the arteries taking oxygen rich blood from the lungs to the heart become hardened and narrowed because of plaque buildup. The plaque is made of cholesterol found in the bloodstream. When insufficient blood is flowing to the heart, it can cause chest pains and eventually a heart attack. If left untreated, coronary heart disease can weaken the heart muscle by robbing it of oxygen, which can lead to total heart failure.
- The American Heart Association recognizes obesity as one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease, a leading cause of heart attacks. According to the Framingham Heart Study, obesity increases an individual's risk of heart failure from coronary heart disease by 104 percent. This is because obesity raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which lead to more plaque buildup in the arteries. Also, obese individuals have less HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol that combat plaque buildup, than individuals of an acceptable rate. Obesity increases blood pressure and can lead to diabetes. The presence of diabetes also increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
- Obese patients who are also dealing with coronary heart disease requires a combination of a restricted diet and increased physical activity. Taking in fewer calories than are burned through exercise is the key to losing body fat. For individuals with severe obesity, which is a BMI of 35 or greater, the American Heart Association says that weight loss surgery is an option, but only when other conditions, like coronary heart disease, are present. For patients with a BMI of greater than 40, weight loss surgery is the treatment of choice according to the AHA.
- To obese individuals, losing weight seems like a daunting task, but small lifestyle changes can help. In a study published by Pediatrics magazine in 2007, researchers found that simply cutting 100 calories a day and increasing activity levels by 2000 steps each day, families could work together to lower BMI levels. According to the National Library of Medicine, losing just five to ten percent of your body weight can delay or prevent the onset of obesity-triggered diseases, including coronary heart disease.
- Sadly, obesity and coronary heart disease are starting to affect children and teens. In 2005, the American Heart Association estimated that nearly 10 million children between the ages of 6 and 19 were considered overweight. Children who are overweight often have artery damage, a precursor to coronary heart disease. Since coronary heart disease is progressive, AHA researchers expect obese children to have even shorter lifespans than obese adults, unless something is done to fight childhood obesity.
