What are the signs of being overweight? There are some serious warning signs that tell you that you are overweight and you need to lose. Being overweight or obese poses a genuine risk to your health. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 78 million adults and 13 million children in the United States deal with the health and emotional effects of obesity every day. The likelihood of suffering the following conditions increases the risk factors of obesity, side effects of being overweight, and diseases caused by obesity.
- High blood pressure
- Heart Disease and stroke
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Respiratory problems such as asthma and sleep apnea
These warning signs of being overweight not only affect your personal lifestyle. They affect your loved ones too especially if they are providing daily care for you when you are sick.
Do not ignore the following signs of being overweight. The sooner you respond and set your mind on losing weight, the faster you will get rid of the excess weight and fats. And you will be well on your way to looking and feeling fantastic about yourself.
Symptoms and Warning Signs of Being Overweight
Body Mass Index (BMI)
The first “litmus” test is through your BMI. You can calculate your BMI easily. There is a simple formula you can use to calculate. Take a look at the following images for the formula. Even insurance companies use this parameter as a simple estimate of body fat and disease risk.
A normal BMI falls within 18.5 to 24.9. If your BMI is 25 or above, you are considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or above indicates you are obese. It is necessary to know the warning signs of overweight. It will help you to take action at the right time
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This index does not take into account your family history, blood type, and lifestyle. An overweight individual might be healthy while another individual with a normal BMI might be unhealthy. While rudimentary, it is a good indicator of whether your weight is likely to pose a health risk to you.
Waist Circumference
According to the National Institutes of Health, a waist circumference of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women is a warning sign of being overweight and can cause health risks. This is especially true for individuals with a BMI of 25 to 34.9.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) suggests that once your waist circumference is higher than 35 inches, excessive belly fat increases your risk of Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Everyone comes in different shapes and sizes. The same is true about body fat composition. Some have bulging bellies, while others store most of their fat in their hips and thighs. But if your waist circumference exceeds 35 inches and your BMI is higher than 25, these are 2 alert triggers that you should be losing weight soon.
Knees, Hips, and Back Pain
Are you experiencing pain in your knees, hips, and back? If you are, then it’s your body giving you warning signs of being overweight. The excess weight you are carrying is putting extra stress on the joints. And the extra load is wearing off the joint tissue, causing pain and discomfort.
Parent or Grandparent Died Of Cancer
Did you lose a parent or grandparent to cancer? A family history of cancer increases your risk. While cancer is not hereditary, the gene mutation may be passed down from a parent to a child, ie the gene that increases the risk of developing cancer.
Excess fat produces excess estrogen. Estrogen is linked to breast cancer and other tumor-promoting hormones according to the National Cancer Institute.
The World Cancer Research Fund estimates that 20% of all cancers diagnosed in the USA are related to body fatness, lack of physical activity, excess alcohol consumption, and other reasons. These all contribute to cancer risk but body weight appears a sign of being overweight and has the strongest link to cancer, and contributes to 20% of all cancer-related deaths.
A research study has shown that weight loss can reduce the risks of cancer and prevent cancer from developing. Strong evidence was found in the correlation between colon cancer incidence and obesity. Weight loss can also reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Physical Indicators like Fatigue and Breathlessness
Do you feel breathless whenever you try to do some exercise? Even the slightest physical activity is causing you to pant heavily? If you find yourself in this situation, you are likely to be overweight and your scales are off. According to the National Institute of Health, when you gain weight, your respiratory function decreases. Breathlessness is a sign of physical inactivity, and your lungs and heart are not worked out enough to function properly.
If you feel tired all the time, your body gives you warning signs of being overweight and tells you that you need to lose weight. Lack of energy is often linked to inflammation caused by excess fat within your body. Internal inflammation causes constant fatigue.
Clothes are Getting Tighter
Your clothes are feeling tighter and that favorite pair of jeans just doesn’t feel comfy anymore. This is the surest sign of being overweight that you are putting on weight and can no longer fit into your clothes. While the idea of changing your wardrobe and stocking it with new clothes sounds good, the weight gain is definitely not.
Gaining weight is real, and so are its consequences on your health. So as you read through the signs and find yourself checking “Yes” to more than 2 of them, it’s time to take action to lose some weight. Even a 5% weight loss can work miracles in your life.
