fattyprejudice

Lets face it, many of us are more than just a little overweight.  If  you are more than 50 pounds over your ideal weight, you are obese, more than 100 pounds, morbidly obese.  The frightening fact of the matter is that obesity puts one at risk for many diseases, some that could lead to death.  One of the most frightening to me is Heart disease.  I, myself have several risk factors, I am diabetic , have Graves disease (hyperthyroid) and Rheumatoid Arthritis , all contribute to heart disease.  Fortunately for me, I am a pear, which means that I carry the majority of my weight in my hips.  Why does this make me feel fortunate?  Well the risk factor is higher for those who are apples, or who carry the majority of their weight around the middle, in the stomache and chest area.

“People whose fat collects around the waist - the classic apple shape - are at higher risk of heart disease than their pear-shaped counterparts, whose weight collects around the hips,” said Roger S. Blumenthal, M.D., F.A.C.C., director of The Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease. “The majority of heart disease is preventable.”

Dr. Blumenthal added, “Cardiovascular disease is often not optimally managed. Often physicians could do a better job of motivating patients to improve their lifestyle habits.”

According to The American College of Cardiology (ACC)  official guidelines for assessing the risk for cardiovascular disease, several factors are critical:

– cigarette smoking of any amount
– elevated blood pressure
– elevated LDL cholesterol
– diabetes mellitus
– advancing age
– obesity
– physical inactivity

Many experts feel that doctors don’t take enough action to help their patients to avoid heart disease.  The ACC encourages individuals to work with their personal physicians to:

– manage blood pressure
– stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
– control the intake of calories
– increase exercise to at least 30 minutes for three or four days each week, with an ideal goal of daily exercise
– manage co-existing medical conditions, like diabetes.

So even if you are not overweight, “just a little” overweight, or obese, take preventative measures, take care of your heart. If you are overweight, see your doctor and work with him/her in getting your health under control.  You only have one body, it  deserves to be treated right.

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