Obesity and Your Heart Health Risk
In the News: Heart Awareness Month
It's a well-known fact that being overweight increases your chance of being at risk of a number of chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. But research shows that even a small amount of weight loss can lessen your risk of falling victim to these deadly diseases.
Research also shows that, unfortunately, eating just 100 more calories a day than you should, can cause your body weight to be in the obese category and not just the overweight category.
To determine whether or not you are overweight or obese, use a BMI Calculator. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight; a BMI between 30 and 39.9 is considered obese.
If your BMI is greater than 25 and you are older than 30 years old, you should strongly consider losing weight to reduce your risk of heart disease and other life-threatening conditions.
In recognition of American Heart Month here are some important statistics regarding heart health:
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
- In 2010, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a coronary attack.
- The average age for a first heart attack for men is 66 years.
- Many cases of heart disease can be prevented. Learn more at cdc.gov.