Financial Impact of Obesity

I bet you are wondering what this picture has to do with Obesity…  This is the most recent picture I have of myself – taken in mid-December with Frank Kern.  If you compare this picture of me with the one from my post on January 1st, you will see why I am so ecstatic about life….

Let me start by saying that I am first and foremost a Financial Coach: I empower people to take control of their Financial Future without living in scarcity.  Part of the backbone of my program is helping people to understand the financial impact of Health on any Wealth accumulation strategy.  If you lose your health, you lose everything.

A cornerstone of protecting your health is getting to an optimal weight and staying there.  Each year obesity-related conditions cost over 150 billion dollars and cause an estimated 300,000 premature deaths in the US.

The health effects associated with obesity include, but are not limited to, the following:

• High blood pressure – Additional fat tissue in the body increases the need for oxygen and nutrients.  In order to meet these needs, blood vessels need to circulate more blood to this tissue, which increases the workload of the heart and causes more pressure on the artery walls. This higher pressure on the artery walls is what increases blood pressure.
• Diabetes – Obesity is the major cause of type 2 diabetes.  Because obesity can cause resistance to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar; blood sugar levels become elevated.  This type of diabetes usually begins in adulthood but, is now occurring in children!
• Heart disease – Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is present 10 times more often in obese people compared to those who are not. Coronary artery disease is also more prevalent, due to the fatty deposits that build up in arteries that supply the heart. Narrowed arteries and reduced blood flow to the heart can cause chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Blood clots can also form in narrowed arteries, which can lead to a stroke.
• Joint problems, including osteoarthritis – Obesity can affect the knees and hips due to the additional stress placed on them by extra weight.  Joint replacement surgery may not be an advisable option for an obese person, due to the additional risks associated with the extra weight.
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems – Sleep apnea causes people to stop breathing for brief periods throughout the night, which interrupts sleep patterns and causes sleepiness during the day. Sleep apnea can also lead to heavy snoring, and has been associated with high blood pressure. The respiratory problems associated with obesity are caused by the added weight of the chest wall squeezing the lungs and restricting breathing.
• Cancer – In women, being overweight contributes to an increased risk of a variety of cancers, including breast, colon, gallbladder, and uterus. Men who are overweight have a higher risk of colon and prostate cancers.
• Metabolic syndrome – The National Cholesterol Education Program has identified metabolic syndrome as a complex risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome consists of six major components: abdominal obesity, elevated blood cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance with or without glucose intolerance, elevation of certain blood components that indicate inflammation, and elevation of certain clotting factors in the blood. In the US, approximately one-third of overweight or obese persons exhibit metabolic syndrome.
• Psychosocial effects – In a culture where often the ideal of physical attractiveness is to be overly thin, people who are overweight or obese frequently suffer disadvantages. Overweight and obese persons are often blamed for their condition and may be considered to be lazy or weak-willed. It is not uncommon for weight issues to result in lower income and/or  fewer or no romantic relationships.  Disapproval of overweight persons expressed by some individuals may progress to bias, discrimination, and even torment.

You might be surprised to learn where you stand in relation to your health.  There are several indicators, but the leading one is the measurement of your BMI.  Body Mass Index has been endorsed by the Surgeon General of the United States as a measure of health and fitness.  It takes into consideration the height and weight of a person to give an accurate index of what his/her weight should be.  The following ranges are the interpretation of BMI:

• Up to 25 is considered to be Healthy
• Between 25 and 29 indicates that the person is overweight
• Between 30 and 39 indicates Obesity
• Over 40 is an indication of extreme Obesity

When I began my program of weight reduction last June (See the picture from my posting on January 1st – http://abundancebydesign.com/2012/my-22nd-wedding-anniversary/), my BMI placed me squarely in the middle of Obese.  After a 45-pound weight loss, I am now at the low-end of Overweight.  (Yes, the picture with Frank shows a person who is still losing weight!!)

I had been experiencing many of the health affects related to my excess weight, and have tried most of my adult life to get control of it.  I have been so impressed with my results since June, in terms of energy, clarity, strength, and mood, that I haven’t even tested the high-cholesterol that brought me to the program I am on!!  I was so impressed with them that I became a coach last August. 

****Update, Update, Update***
I am still a Health Coach, but I have modified the strategies I used when I wrote this original post to include much more healthy and flexible food choices. Check out my special website at: Get the Healthy Edge

Tags: Career Foundation, Frank Kern, Health, Weight Loss