Health Risk of Obesity

The more obese a person is, the more likely he or she is to develop health problems. Mild obesity involving a body mass index (BMI) of 30+, is less dangerous to health than morbid obesity (BMI 40+) or malignant obesity (BMI 50+). For example, someone who is 40 percent overweight is twice as likely to die prematurely as an average-weight person. This effect is seen after 10 to 30 years of being obese.

Central or Abdominal Obesity Carries Greater Health Risks

Patients with central or abdominal obesity, characterized by excessive visceral fat around the stomach and abdomen, have a higher risk of weight-related disease. Abdominal obesity is one of the core symptoms of cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance syndrome. In women, central obesity is signaled by a waist circumference of about 35+ inches, while in men the danger waist measurement is 40+ inches. Alternatively, check your waist-hip ratio. Women with a waist-to-hip ratio of more than 0.8 or men with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 1.0 are "apples" and are at increased health risk due to their fat distribution.

Increased Health Risk of Heart Disease

The risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina or chest pain is increased in persons who are overweight or obese. High blood pressure is twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight. Obesity is associated with high triglycerides and decreased HDL cholesterol.