What is the Cost of an Unhealthy Weight?

Weight Loss, Healthy Lifestyle

Losing Weight Helps with More than Just Your Looks.

We live in the land of plenty. We are so fortunate to have almost any food item we want within our grasp. Because of this plentiful bounty, we also have a dilemma of excess.

This dilemma shows itself in many forms. One example is carrying too much weight, which is at an all-time high. I have discussed my weight loss journey, where I lost 90 pounds 15 years ago. Unfortunately, back then, I gave in to the lure of excess. I let it go too far.

The World Health Organization defines obesity as an accumulation of body fat that risks one’s health.(1) These health risks are commonly presented as high cholesterol, type II diabetes, and high blood pressure.

The number of people at an unhealthy weight is at an all-time high. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2018, 42.4% of the US population was obese, compared to 30.4% in 1999. The percentage of severely obese went from 4.7% to 9.2%.(2)

Health issues related to carrying too much weight are the leading cause of preventable deaths. Being overweight can be related to one or more medical conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and some cancers such as liver, colon, and breast cancers. These conditions cost each person more money in medical expenses each year.(4,5,6)

I was one of these people. Over 15 years ago, I was carrying too much body fat. It caused me to have high blood pressure and cholesterol. I was on medications to keep them in the ”normal” range. I was also borderline diabetic.

It is proven and well-established that many of these conditions can be reversed with dietary changes.(3,5,6) This is good news. Quite frankly, this is amazing. There are not many situations where you can…

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