Excess Weight Matters. It’s a Symptom Of A Slow Killer In Us. (Image Credit freedigitalphotos)

No one wants to think of themselves as fat.

Unfortunately, ⅓ of us are. Another ⅓ of us are obese. Wow! We can argue how it got that way, but that doesn’t solve the very personal health problem of being overweight.

Most of us would like to think of excess weight as just a cosmetic problem – we think we don’t look attractive when we are overweight – especially if you are a woman – and most especially if you are a younger woman.

What is missing from this mental equation is that excess weight is much more than cosmetics.

Excess weight is a symptom. It is a killer. A slow killer, to be sure, but a killer nonetheless. We don’t like to think of it that way because no one is running out the red flag and telling us the truth about the dangers. But, it is dangerous just the same.

By the time many realize the health hazards of having been overweight for years, a lot of permanent damage has already been done.  And if you have been overweight for 8–10–12 years, or more, you already have the beginning damage that leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or colon cancer.

For women, it not only limits fertility, it also sets you up for breast cancer, endometriosis, and it increases the diabetes and overweight risks of your kids. Heart disease is the second leading cause of premature death in women.

For men, the common realities are not just heart disease and hypertension. It includes the less talked about and real vascular damage that leads to erectile disfunction, plus colon cancer.

So, when you look in the mirror and see yourself as less attractive when you carry 20-30-50 extra pounds or more, what you really need to be telling yourself is that you are killing yourself. It may be slow death, but it is real, and it will catch up to you sooner than you think, and long before you’re finished wanting to live and enjoy life.  

In short, excess weight matters.

If it takes your concern for your looks to do something about it, then that’s a good place to start. Because it doesn’t really matter why you are doing it, as long as you are doing something each day to change your body shape, and to save your life.