The average weight of Americans has substantially increased over the past couple of decades. So researchers looked into what this obesity trend might mean for the country.
CBS news reports on being obese and what that says about your health.
Apparently being obese does imply that you are an unhealthy person.
CBS explains how the study was conducted, “In the study of more than 14,000 men and women, aged 30 to 59, those who were obese had more plaque buildup in their arteries, putting them at greater risk for heart disease and stroke than people of normal weight, the researchers found.”
Experts say that being over weight inevitably impacts a person’s other functions, particularly blood flow to their heart. Dr. Puri, who heads the heart department at the Cleveland Clinic told CBS, “People have been trying to work out whether there is a group of people that are obese and healthy. But even if an obese person has normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, those measures are likely to change over time and become abnormal, putting the patient at risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.”
Puri further stated that studies trying to link obesity and healthiness are futile.
He says there is no point in researchers trying to find a reason to say it is okay to be obese. Dr. Puri said it would be better for them to spend their time trying to come up with methods to improve heart health and weight loss measures. He further noted, “We have an enormous challenge at a public health and individual level in dealing with obesity-related disorders. Being obese doesn't just affect the heart. Being obese means you're more likely to have joint disease, psychiatric disorders and cancers. He added that, over the next couple of decades, obesity and its consequences, will be driving health care costs.”
