Menu:

Do You Have a Problem With food?

The Dangers of Being Overweight or Obese

Life expectancy in overweight people

Do You Have a Problem With food?

For most people, food is a simple matter of eating when you feel hungry but for others, there is a much more complicated relationship which is often hard for others to understand. Some people suffer from compulsive overeating and it can be a remarkably difficult to overcome.

Some people eat to appease emotional problems and stress, even boredom. These can all add up to a serious health problem and obesity is just the start of it. Clogged arteries, cardiovascular problems and all manner of slight illness can result from this type of behaviour.

Eating releases endorphins and provides a temporary mood boost which is rarely long lived and is often followed by feelings of disgust and inadequacy. Compulsive overeating is not to be confused with bulimia which is also a horrible condition to suffer from. The two involve binging on food but are not identical. (more...)

The Dangers of Being Overweight or Obese

According to a recent report, one in every three adults in the UK is overweight, while one in four is officially obese. More alarming still is what is happening to the kids. At present, Britain has one of the highest rates for overweight children in all of Europe. This trend is expected to continue as over 10,000 people die each year due to obesity-related diseases.

What are the dangers of being overweight? Really, they’re almost too numerous to list, but we will take a brief look at the most common risks. Being overweight or obese increases the likelihood that you will develop one or more of the following: heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, arthritis (especially osteoarthritis), a stroke, as well as several types of cancer.

Presently, heart disease is the number one killer in the UK and it strikes overweight people disproportionately. In fact, heart attacks and strokes are often the result of a disease called atherosclerosis, which occurs when plaque lines the inside of the arteries. It is these arteries that transport blood to and from the heart, and when they are obstructed and there is insufficient blood flow , the heart cannot function properly. (more...)

Life expectancy in overweight people

New studies may suggest that being a little overweight in your later years will actually increase your life expectancy. A study completed over the course of a decade on a group of 70-75 year olds found that those who were slightly over weight lived longer than those who were either normal weight or under weight. Of the initial 9,000 individuals studied 2,300 of them died by the end of the 10 year term and results showed that the group with the lowest average age at time of death were the people with a BMI of 18.5 and under. Obese people with a BMI over 30 were equally at risk of dying as people of normal weight and those who were slightly over weight people lived the longest.

The findings of this study somewhat contradict the advice given to us by health authorities and healthcare professionals on maintaining a healthy weight for longevity and an improved quality of life, and for some people the study may justify their lazy ways. Though the study is interesting we should not ignore years of studies which show the benefits of an active and healthy life and the problems created by eating disorders which lead to obesity .

All healthy bodies require a minimum amount of fat in order to function, and fat is important in regulating hormones and energy as well as the body’s immune and reproductive systems. However accumulating more body fat than is optimal will lead you to become overweight and can be aesthetically unpleasant as well as bad for your general health. Being overweight and eating poorly can lead to cardiovascular problems, joint and muscle aches and difficulty carrying out day to day tasks. Excess weight is of great global concern, and more than 1 billion adults are either overweight or obese, though patterns of increased obesity affect all age groups. Any two people of the same height might have very different ideas of their ideal weight. Whislt there is no specific weight you should be for your height there is an ideal range for each person. Falling within the ideal weight range will decrease your risk of developing associated illness. (more...)

Pharmapure • All Rights Reserved © 2008