Reasons to Diet

QUESTION: I am about 50 pounds overweight, but my husband says he likes me
the way I am. My doctor, however, says I am obese, and he's always
encouraging me to diet. He says it's bad for my heart and other parts of my
body to be so overweight. Could you tell me the "other" reasons that it is
unhealthy for me to carry around the extra weight?
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ANSWER: Almost every system of the body suffers when a person is obese.
Doctors consider a person obese who is 20 percent above the recommended weight
for his or her height and build.
When a person is very overweight, the respiratory system may become
overtaxed. The extra physical mass, composed of fat, that rests on the
breathing apparatus is heavier than it should be. The additional weight
putting pressure on the larynx and rib cage makes it difficult for a person to
breath deeply, and fill the lungs to capacity with fresh air. In the
cardiovascular system, fatty deposits may accumulate on the arteries, causing
atherosclerosis. This may eventually impede the flow of blood to the heart.
Obesity can cause high blood pressure and cor pulmonale, the enlargement of
the right ventricle of the heart. Overweight people are more prone to
varicose veins and thromboembolism--blood clots which may move from the veins
to other parts of the body, particularly the lungs--than people who are
slender. The gastrointestinal system is also affected by excess weight.
Obese people tend to have fatty livers and gallstones much more frequently
than normal.
The most common complication of obesity in the musculoskeletal system is
osteoarthritis. Gouty arthritis and chronic destruction of the joints may
occur because of the excess of uric acid frequently found in overweight
people. In the female reproductive system, excess weight can interfere with
the amount of menstrual flow and the timing of periods. That is because being
overweight has an effect on the production and metabolism of estrogen, the
female hormone. Although uncommon in the general population, toxemia (a form
of blood poisoning) frequently occurs when the obese are pregnant or
postpartum.
The endocrine system can be negatively affected in many ways in the
overweight. The changes in the metabolism of testosterone and estrogen in the
obese may lead to excess hairiness.
Overweight people often suffer from diabetes. They also tend to have a
decreased metabolic rate. Another significant health risk to the overweight
is that cancer rates are much higher. The cancer rate in overweight men is
about a third higher, and obese women suffer from cancer over 50 percent more
often than thin women.
So you see, there are many reasons that it is wise to try to maintain a
healthy body weight. Maybe one or more of the health risks I've mentioned
will motivate you to diet. Remember, there is no race to rid yourself of all
the extra pounds you have been carrying around for so long. Don't crash diet,
because you'll probably regain the weight just as quickly, possibly even
gaining more than you lost. Take it slowly and sensibly and make sure your
nutrition does not suffer when you diet. Your best bet is to change the
amounts of food you eat, eating less of the foods you like best. Of course if
you switch from high cholesterol or fatty foods to low cholesterol, you gain
another benefit of reducing risks of heart attack or stroke.