Obesity Can Lead to Coronary Heart Disease

One of the more serious consequences of obesity is that it can lead to coronary heart disease, which can kill you.

This disease is American’s leading killer, killing thousands of people each year.

The American Heart Association has identified six risk factors for coronary heart disease and heart attack that are preventable.

One of them is being obese and overweight.

Of the remaining five, three are also symptoms of obesity which include:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol and
• Diabetes.
• The remaining two are tobacco usage and physical inactivity (which can also be related to obesity.)

The reason that being obese or overweight can lead to coronary heart disease is because the excess body weight you carry around causes your heart to work exceedingly hard.

This increases your risk for all these other conditions.

The good news is that by overcoming obesity you can reduce your risk for this disease.

Even losing as little as ten pounds can begin to lower your risk.

Of course, as you come closer and closer to reaching your ideal weight, your risk for coronary heart disease will continue to become reduced.

To combat obesity for heart health the American Heart Association recommends reducing or eliminating the number of high fat foods you eat, particularly those with saturated fat.

There are two reasons to do this:

You can eat far less of those than of healthy foods. You’re better off eating low fat, low calorie foods and feeling more satisfied.

Also, foods high in fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood, a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

They recommend that if women follow a daily calorie plan of 1,200-1,500 calories, and men follow a plan of 1,500-1,800 calories a day they can lose one to two pounds per week, the recommended rate of weight loss.

Physical activity will help you burn more calories, which will help you lose weight and overcome obesity, and if you increase your heart rate it will condition your heart and lungs.

Overcoming your obesity through diet and exercise will go a long way toward reducing your risk of coronary heart disease.

It will be a challenging road, but well worth the effort! Even if you slip a little and eat an order of French fries, or miss a day of walking, you can still get right back into your routine and continue to improve.

Don’t let a misstep discourage you, overcoming obesity and combating your risk for this deadly disease deserves continued effort.

• Incorporate a proven, complete nutritional program into your daily life.
• Enhance your nutritional program with a complete mutivitamin supplement because no nutritional program is perfect.
• Use a behavior modification and motivational program that will help you stay on track with your nutritional plan.
• Exercise at home with your own:
  Treadmill

  Stairstepper

  Exercise bike

  Elliptical trainer

  Hand weights or

  An aerobic video.

• See what kinds of weight loss aids your health insurance covers such as:
  Hypnotism

  Gym membership discounts

  Nutritional counseling.

• Don’t eat standing up.
• Don’t eat out of the carton; put the right size portion on your plate and put the carton away.
• Keep a food log of what you eat... you may be surprised.
• Meet with a nutritionist.
• Avoid fast food. If you must get fast food, chose a healthy menu item.
• When eating out portions are usually very large, plan to take half home.
• Avoid fried foods.
• Try eating 5-6 small, healthy meals a day rather than three big ones.

Even if you suffer with coronary heart disease, it is not too late to turn this condition around.

You must change not only your diet; but, your behavior as well.

Will you make the decision to change your life starting right now?