- Are You Overweight?
- What Is Your Waist Measurement?
- What Are the Risks to Your Health of Being Overweight?
- How You Can Lower Your Health Risks
- Additional Reading
- Additional Resources
Are You Overweight?
Weight-for-Height Chart
Source: Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 1995 pgs. 23-24.
What Is Your Waist Measurement?
If you are a woman and
your waist measures more than 35 inches, or if you are a man and your
waist measures more than 40 inches, you are more likely to develop heart
disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers. You may want
to talk to your doctor or other health professional about the health risks
of your weight.
What Are the Risks to Your Health of Being Overweight?
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability
for both men and women in the United States. Overweight people are more
likely to have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease
and stroke, than people who are not overweight. 
Very high blood levels
of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats) can also lead to heart
disease and often are linked to being overweight. Being overweight also
contributes to angina (chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart)
and sudden death from heart disease or stroke without any signs or
symptoms.
The good news is that losing a small amount of weight can reduce your chances of developing heart disease or a stroke. Reducing your weight by 10 percent can decrease your chance of developing heart disease by improving how your heart works, blood pressure, and levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides.
Diabetes
Noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) is the most common type of diabetes in the United States. Type 2 diabetes reduces your body's ability to control your blood sugar. It is a major cause of early death, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and blindness. Overweight people are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as people who are not overweight. You can reduce your risk of developing this type of diabetes by losing weight and by increasing your physical activity.
If you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight and becoming more physically active can help control your blood sugar levels. If you use medicine to control your blood sugar, weight loss and physical activity may make it possible for your doctor to decrease the amount of medication you need.
Cancer
Several types of cancer are associated with being overweight. In women, these include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovary, breast, and colon. Overweight men are at greater risk for developing cancer of the colon, rectum, and prostate. For some types of cancer, such as colon or breast, it is not clear whether the increased risk is due to the extra weight or to a high-fat and high-calorie diet.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep
apnea is a serious condition that is closely associated with being
overweight. Sleep apnea can cause a person to stop breathing for short
periods during sleep and to snore heavily. Sleep apnea may cause daytime
sleepiness and even heart failure. The risk for sleep apnea increases with
higher body weights. Weight loss usually improves sleep apnea.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder that most often
affects the joints in your knees, hips, and lower back. Extra weight
appears to increase the risk of osteoarthritis by placing extra pressure
on these joints and wearing away the cartilage (tissue that cushions the
joints) that normally protects them. Weight loss can decrease stress on
the knees, hips, and lower back and may improve the symptoms of
osteoarthritis.
Gout
Gout is a joint disease caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid sometimes forms into solid stone or crystal masses that become deposited in the joints. Gout is more common in overweight people and the risk of developing the disorder increases with higher body weights.
Note: Over the short term, some diets may lead to an attack of gout in people who have high levels of uric acid or who have had gout before. If you have a history of gout, check with your doctor or other health professional before trying to lose weight.
Gallbladder Disease
Gallbladder disease and gallstones are more common if you are overweight. Your risk of disease increases as your weight increases. It is not clear how being overweight may cause gallbladder disease.
Weight loss itself, particularly rapid weight loss or loss of a large amount of weight, can actually increase your chances of developing gallstones. Modest, slow weight loss of about 1 pound a week is less likely to cause gallstones.
How You Can Lower Your Health Risks
Slow and steady weight loss of no more than 1 pound per week is the safest way to lose weight. Very rapid weight loss can cause you to lose muscle rather than fat. It also increases your chances of developing other problems, such as gallstones, gout, and nutrient deficiencies. Making long-term changes in your eating and physical activity habits is the best way to lose weight and keep it off over time.
- Eat Better:
Whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain
your weight, you should take a look at your eating habits and try to
improve them. 
Try to eat a variety of foods, especially pasta, rice,
bread, and other whole-grain foods. You should also eat plenty of fruits
and vegetables. These foods will fill you up and are lower in calories
than foods full of oils or fats. 
For more
information on healthy eating, see the Nutrition and
Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans booklet that is
available from the Weight-control Information Network (WIN).
- Increase Physical Activity: Making physical activity a part
of your daily life is an important way to help control your weight and
lower your risk for health problems.
Spend less time in
activities that use little energy like watching television and playing
video games and more time in physical activities. Try to do at least 30
minutes of physical activity a day on most days of the week. The
activity does not have to be done all at once. It can be done in short
spurts--10 minutes here, 20 minutes there--as long as it adds up to 30
minutes a day. Simple ways to become more physically active include
walking to the store or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. See
WIN's fact sheet Physical
Activity and Weight Control for more information.
Additional Reading
Understanding Adult Obesity. NIH Publication No. 94-3680. This fact sheet describes the causes of obesity, how it is measured, and its associated health risks. Available from WIN.
Physical Activity and Weight Control. NIH Publication No. 96-4031. This fact sheet explains how physical activity helps promote weight control and other ways it benefits one's health. It also describes different types of physical activity and provides tips on how to become more physically active. Available from WIN.
Gastric Surgery for Severe Obesity. NIH Publication No. 96-4006. This fact sheet describes the different types of surgery used to treat severe obesity. It explains how gastric surgery promotes weight loss and the benefits and risks of each procedure. Available from WIN.
Dieting and Gallstones. NIH Publication No. 94-3677. This fact sheet describes what gallstones are, how weight loss may cause them, and how to lessen the risk of developing them. Available from WIN.
Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Fifth Edition. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232. 2000. This booklet provides advice for healthy Americans 2 years of age and older about food choices that promote health and prevent disease. It stresses the important roles a balanced diet and physical activity play in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Additional Resources
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
P.O. Box AMS
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel:
(301) 495-4484
Web: www.nih.gov/niams/
National
Cancer Institute
Office of Cancer Communications
Building 31, Room
10A16
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: (800) 4-CANCER
(4-226237)
E-mail: cis@icicc.nci.nih.gov
Web: http://www.nci.nih.gov/
National
Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
1 Information Way
Bethesda, MD
20892-3560
Tel: (301) 654-3327
Fax: (301) 907-8906
E-mail: ndic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Web:
www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/diabetes.htm
National
Digestive Diseases
Information Clearinghouse
2 Information
Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570
Tel: (301) 654-3810
Fax: (301)
907-8906
E-mail: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Web:
www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/digest.htm
National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Center
P.O. Box
30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
Tel: (301) 251-1222
Fax: (301)
251-1223
E-mail: nhlbiic@dgsys.com
Web: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm
Weight-control Information Network
1 Win Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Tel: (202) 828-1025 or 1-877-946-4627
Fax: (202) 828-1028
E-mail: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health, under the U.S. Public Health Service. Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN assembles and disseminates to health professionals and the public information on weight control, obesity, and nutritional disorders. WIN responds to requests for information; develops, reviews, and distributes publications; and develops communications strategies to encourage individuals to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Publications produced by the clearinghouse are reviewed carefully for scientific accuracy, content, and readability.
This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.
May 1998
Updated: September 2001