Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Excess Weight - Is It Going To Kill You?

Excess Weight - Is It Going To Kill You?

For many years, the experts, including our government have been telling Americans that obesity is a leading cause of preventable deaths. For example, as recently as January, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) ranked obesity as the second leading cause of preventable death, and estimated that about 365,000 Americans died as the result of obesity every year.

Now, however, the CDC has announced that obesity accounts for only about 25,814 deaths a year in the United States. So, what has caused the CDC to give a figure (365,000) that's nearly 14 times higher than the now estimated 25,814?

And just how did the Center for Disease Control overestimate the problem by nearly 340,000 deaths?

Obesity ? being extremely overweight ? can definitely be lethal. However, several smaller studies suggest that people who are just modestly overweight have a lower risk of death than those whose weight is considered normal.

One of the problems is that "normal" may be set too low for today's Americans. Also, it is thought that Americans who are classified as overweight are eating better, exercising more and doing a better job of managing their blood pressure.

Obesity is generally defined using a measurement called Body Mass Index (BMI). It is calculated by dividing a person's weight x 703 divided by their height squared or

BMI = Weight (lbs) x 703
Height squared (in2)

This means a woman weighing 173 lbs who is 5'6" would have a BMI of 28, making her overweight but not obese.

The error was created by the fact that the majority of the 400,000 deaths came from a definition of "obese" as a BMI 30 or higher. However, a substantial minority came from the "overweight" group of those with a BMI 25 to 29.9. Besides, the study failed to show a statistically significant relationship between being merely "overweight" and increased risk of death. So, if the deaths of overweight people had been excluded, the study would have reported 17 percent fewer deaths.

For that matter, the results of this study seemed indicate that being overweight could have a protective effect. In fact, most studies find no correlation between being overweight and an increased risk of death.

A new study attributes only 111,909 deaths per year to obesity, and subtracts the benefits of being modestly overweight, to arrive at the 25,814 figure.

What does all this mean to the typical American? It means it's a good idea know your BMI as it can be used as an indicator of coming problems. If your BMI is between 18 and 24.9 your weight is normal. If your BMI is 25 to 29.9, you are overweight. If it is 30 to 34.9, you are obese with a high risk of problems such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. A range of 35 to 39.9 puts you in the obese category with a very high risk of disease. And any BMI greater than 40 makes you extremely obese with an extremely high risk of disease.

For that matter, some estimates are that a BMI of 30 or higher increases the risk of death from any cause by 50% to 150%.

What can you do if you are in one of the at-risk categories? It's pretty simple. Lose weight. You can do this by cutting back in the foods you eat and by exercising more. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just announced new food pyramids based on a person's age, sex and amount of exercise. You can find your pyramid by going to mypryamid.gov. Put in your age, for example, 40, the fact that you're a male, and that you exercise less than 30 minutes per day. Click on Submit, and you will see a food pyramided geared specifically to help you eat healthy. Follow these guidelines for a few months and you're bound to see a new, healthier, thinner you.

Article by Douglas Hanna. Douglas is a retired advertising and marketing executive and long-time Denver resident. He is the webmaster of http://www.all-in-one-info.com, a free resource for information on a variety of subjects. Please visit his site to subscribe to his free newsletter, "Tips & Tricks to Save Money & Live Better."

family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..

In The News:

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Excess Weight - Is It Going To Kill You?

Weight Loss