Firstly, How Do We Know If We Are Obese?

To see if your weight is healthy, calculate your mody mass index (BMI) using the formula :

For Asians , BMI of :

Less Than 18.5 = UNDERWEIGHT
18.5 to 22.9 = HEALTHY
23.0 to 27.4 = OVERWEIGHT
27.5 above = OBESE

You can also you our super simple online BMI tool to calculate your BMI here.

Health Risks Associated With Obesity

Severe obesity in the 40-45 BMI range cuts life spans by 8 to 10 years, impairs the immune system thus run the risk of developing these seven diseases over time :

1. Alzheimer’s Disease

Obese people are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive and fatal brain disease. reseachers found that obese people have 8% less brain tissue than people at healthy weights, while overweight people have 4% less brain tissue.

2. Cancer

Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for some form of cancers (endometrial, breasts and colorectal among others). One reason obesity may raise cancer risk is because fat cells produce estrogen, which simulates cell division. The more times cells divide, the higher chances a random genetic error will occur, which can lead to cancer.

3. Diabetes

Obese people are about twice as likely to have Type 2 diabetes as opposed to those in other weight ranges. A recent study has shed light on a possible cause of obesity leading to diabetes. Obesity is associated with increased levels of free fatty acids that stimulate the secretion of insulin via GPR40 receptors. This in turn contributes to the development of diseases such as diabetes.

4. Heart Disease

Obesity is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease which can lead to heart attack. Obesity raises blood cholestrol and triglyceride (a type of blood fat) levels, at same time lowers level of HDL (“good” cholestrol linked with lower risk of heart disease and stroke) and at same time raises blood pressure levels.

5. Osteoarthritis

Carrying extra weight inadvertently places extra pressure on the joints of the knees, hips and lower back. This wears away the cartilage (the tissue that cushions joints) that normally protects them, thus, leading to osteoarthritis.

6. Stroke

Large scale studies have found a link between obesity and stroke risk. Notably in 2002, researchers reported on a study involving about 21,000 male physicians and gave a precise numerical relationship, which is a “one unit increase in BMI raised the risk of stroke by 1%”.

7. Allergy

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which involved about 4,000 children aged 2 to 19, indicated a link between obesity and allergy. The researchers found that obese children had higher levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is an indicator of allergic activity in the body. Obese children were 26% more likely to have an allergy than children of healthy weight.