Big May be Beautiful: But it’s not Healthy for your Body

In today’s culture its often popular for certain segments of society to celebrate or tout their anomaly or disorder as a means of making themselves feel better about their lifestyle. “Big is Beautiful”, an often used term bandied about in today’s culture, is a perfect example. While overweight people may be truly beautiful on the inside or the outside, the truth is the additional weight presents a long-term risk to their health and quality of life.

Every pound of weight over a person’s target BMI (Body Mass Index) represents a clear and present danger to an individual’s immediate and long term health prospects. Carrying or adding body weight over an extended period in the course of one’s lifetime creates an unhealthy cycle of craving delicious, unhealthy foods, a steady decline in regular exercise and a sedentary lifestyle. The result being an elevation of risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and a premature death.

Here are some of the key factors contributing to this unhealthy cycle:

More Weight, Less Exercise: Every additional ten pounds of weight gain adds an additional 40 lbs. of pressure on your hips, knees and ankles. The long-term impact of this is obvious. More weight, less exercise means you are burning off fewer calories and probably not burning off as much as you are taking in everyday. The higher weight is either maintained or added to over time.

More Weight, More Stress on Heart: For every additional pound of fat you gain your body produces from one to 3.5 miles of new blood vessels. The impact is clear. Each additional pound of fat puts added stress on your heart. And if you are eating a diet rich in unhealthy fats or other calories, you are putting added stress on your heart as the plaque builds up in your arteries.

More Weight, More Calories to Burn Off: According to the U.S. Dept. of Health the average woman takes in 1,940 calories per day, while the average man burns 2,550 calories per day. And the simple fact is if you’re not burning off the same number of calories you’re taking in everyday – you’re gaining weight. Just to lose a pound over a week’s time, you need to have a calorie deficit (burning off more than you take in) of 500 per day, or 3,500 for the week. More weight takes more time to burn off.

The good news is that the first two parts of the cycle are reversible. Lose weight and take proportionate stress off your lower body joints. Lose weight and your body absorbs a proportionate amount of blood vessels. The third part of the cycle depends on how committed someone is to losing the weight.  It’s important to remember that each pound you lose and keep off reduces your risk for the precursors to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

If you are not sure what your BMI is click the link here http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/. O’Meagher Farms promotes healthier eating by offering a variety of tasty, all natural foods (which are plant-based) on its website. Please visit us at http://www.omeagherfarms.com.