Why you can’t give up trying to lose weight...

Did you know that carrying extra weight increases your chances of passing away by 10 percent? The odds climb to 34 percent if you're obese and a significant 98 percent if you're morbidly obese.

Beyond the risk of mortality, being overweight can lead to chronic illnesses that can severely impact your quality of life (more on that below).

So, what's the right weight for you? Well, it depends on your height, and we measure that using BMI, or Body Mass Index.

You can figure out your BMI here:

https://www.calculator.net/bmi-calculator.html

People who are underweight (with a BMI under 18.5), those at a normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 25), those who are overweight (BMI between 25 and 30), those who are obese (BMI between 30 and 35), and those who are morbidly obese (BMI over 35).

It's important to note that being underweight also carries a higher risk of mortality. Research indicates that the sweet spot for survival and a good quality of life lies in having a normal body mass index.

The distribution of fat in your body matters too (for instance, higher waist circumference might indicate poorer health – check my other blogs for more details).

But what else can carrying too much weight do?

- Trigger Type 2 diabetes

- Raise blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels

- Lead to heart and blood vessel issues like high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes

- Cause breathing difficulties such as sleep apnea, asthma, and obesity hypoventilation syndrome

- Result in chronic back pain

- Contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which could progress to liver cirrhosis (permanent scarring)

- Prompt osteoarthritis, a major reason for knee replacement surgery in long-term obese patients

- Bring about urinary incontinence, especially in women, due to weakened pelvic muscles

- Boost the risk of gallbladder disease

- Impact emotional well-being, possibly leading to low self-esteem or depression, especially in children

- Increase the risk of certain cancers affecting the food pipe, pancreas, colon, rectum, kidney, endometrium, ovaries, gallbladder, breast, or liver

- Play a role in causing inflammation and related complications

Remember, where there's a problem, there's usually a solution. Explore our other articles to learn how you can successfully shed weight and embrace a healthier lifestyle.