The first steps to health if you think you are overweight

July 13, 12:35 AMExtreme Weight Loss ExaminerMark Rubi

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The first steps to health if you think you are overweight is to find out how much you weigh and what your body mass index (BMI) is. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has an online BMI calculator. All you have to do is put in your height and your weight. Be honest. If your BMI is higher than 25, you’re overweight. If it’s higher than 30, you qualify as being obese. But it’s not a prison sentence and it’s not the definition of you. It just means you need to make some changes so that you can live a healthier life.

Even if you don’t like going to the doctor, now is the time to make an appointment for a checkup. It is likely that there is more to your weight problem than just a fondness for food. There are many conditions which can help lead to overweight issues. These include thyroid problems, snoring, sleep apnea, food allergies and hypersensitivities, and undiagnosed health issues such as diabetes or an eating disorder may be underlying causes to your weight problems. Even some medications can help lead to extra pounds.

It is important to remember that you are not alone. The World Health Organization says that nearly 2 billion people worldwide are overweight and nearly half a billion are medically obese. The Centers for Disease Control says that overweight and obesity are at epidemic proportions in the United States. More than 60% of all adults in America are overweight and around 30% of all adults are medically obese.

All those extra pounds mean that nearly 2 out of 3 adults in America are increased risk for many illnesses and chronic conditions. The CDC lists the following health risks from overweight and obesity:

• Coronary heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Stroke
• Liver and Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

Because of pride and self-esteem issues, many people avoid going to the doctor for problems like overweight and obesity. But that sense of shame can lead to the deadly choice of not having the condition addressed. Fortunately, one of the good things coming out of the current debate on health care reform is the idea that much more preventive medicine should be going on. This means addressing extra weight before all the corresponding health risks kick in also.

Preventive medicine, however, begins at home. You will need to take a good look at just what it is you eat. Keep a food journal for several weeks before you go to the doctor. But you have to be honest with yourself. Denial can kill you. Read your journal afterwards and you might be amazed at what it is and how much you eat. Share the information with your doctor if you can handle the embarrassment you might feel, but don’t lie to yourself.

As part of your checkup, the medical staff should weigh you, measure your height and blood pressure, and maybe even do a body fat test. They should check the oxygen level of your blood, take your temperature and ask you a variety of questions about yourself. They should also take blood and urine for tests to rule out any possible medical conditions which may be exacerbating the weight problem. If you snore or have difficulty breathing either awake or asleep, you should tell your doctor. Be sure to let the doctor know if you frequently feel sleepy during the day, and also if the sleepiness hits you suddenly shortly after you eat.

By checking other potential health issues, in addition to eating healthier, you can make losing weight much more effective. And even if the weight loss is a more gradual thing than you would like, you will feel better much quicker if you eliminate allergens or toxins from your diet. And if your doctor finds conditions which need treatment, you may feel amazingly better fairly quickly.

© Copyright, Mark Rubi, July 12, 2009