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Being overweight or obese is becoming an ever increasing problem that is plaguing our society today. Being overweight is not only harmful for your confidence and self image, but is also extremely dangerous for your health as well.

It is estimated that there are about 300,000 deaths per year that may be attributable to obesity. It is also estimated that in America alone:
58% of men aged 20-34 are overweight
67.6% of men aged 35-44 are overweight
71.3% of men aged 45-54 are overweight
72.5% of men aged 55-64 are overweight
77.2% of men aged 65-74 are overweight
66.4% of men over 75 are overweight

51.5% of women aged 20-34 are overweight
63.6% of women aged 35-44 are overweight
64.7% of women aged 45-54 are overweight
73.1% of women aged 55-64 are overweight
70.1% of women aged 65-74 are overweight
59.6% of women over 75 are overweight
(These stats are pulled from the National Center for Health Statistics 2003)

These percentages account for a total of around 97.1 million people who are overweight in the US. This is an astounding number of individuals who suffer from being overweight.

So now lets get into the dangers of being overweight. Being overweight can cause the development of ailments such as:

High Blood Pressure - With your body containing excess body fat, sodium from foods is retained more. This causes your blood volume to increase, which in turn causes your blood pressure to go up. When your blood pressure goes up your heart has to work harder and over time causes the heart to break down pre-maturely.

Type 2 Diabetes - Obesity is one of the leading causes of this type of diabetes. The reason for this is because excess fat increases your body's resistance to insulin. When this happens your body's cells are unable to get the energy they require.

Osteoarthritis - It goes without saying that an individual who is overweight, has a lot more weight than is normal causing excess pressure on joints, and bones. This causes joints and bones to wear down at a much faster rate.

Cancer- Studies show and it is not known for sure why however, people who are over weight are more likely to attain different types of cancers than individuals who are not obese.

Arteriosclerosis - This is where the blood vessels walls harden, this is thought to be caused by hypertension over an abnormal period of time.

These diseases/ailments are just some of the unfortunate side effects of being overweight. If this doesn't give you a bit of motivation to want to do something about your weight I don't know what will.

The scary part of this whole overweight/obesity issue is that it is now more than ever affecting young individuals. It is estimated that the obesity rate of children(2-19) has increased from 4% in 1982, to 16% in 1994, and is still rising at an alarming rate.

One of the biggest issues with being overweight as a kid is that you are made fun of and put down by your fellow peers. This paves the way for future problems such as low self-esteem, being self conscious, lonerism, and other emotional problems.

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