Obesity

Obesity is defined simply as too much body fat. Your body is made up of water, fat, protein, carbohydrate and various vitamins and minerals. If you have too much fat - especially in your waist area - you're at higher risk for health problems, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

A high-risk waistline is 35 inches (88 cm) or higher for women, and 40 inches (102 cm) or higher for men. Obesity is mainly caused by consuming more calories than are used up in physical activity and daily life. When people eat too many calories, or too much saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, their blood cholesterol levels often rise. That raises their risk of heart disease.

Obesity and Heart Disease

Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease. Being too heavy can raise your cholesterol and blood pressure and induce diabetes. Life expectancy is shorter in obese people as well. Obesity is also associated with hypertension, gout, sleep apnea, stroke, deep vein thrombosis - blood clots, gallstones, osteoarthritis, kidney stones, depression and certain types of cancer.

If you've been struggling with your weight, you're not alone. Almost 60% of Canadian adults are either overweight or obese. To find out whether you are overweight or obese, use our Body Mass Index calculator. Losing just 10 pounds can begin to improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease.