The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development reported earlier this year that Americans are the heaviest group of people in the world. Being obese can lead to numerous health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. It can also affect how well the COVID-19 vaccine works.
No one plans to become obese, and for many people it’s a subtle transition. The website Eat This, Not That talked to three top doctors who contributed to the documentary “Better” about recognizing the signs you’re gaining too much weight.
If you see these signs, you might want to take measures to ensure you stay healthy.
Your waist is getting bigger
If you’re working from home and wearing stretch pants — or no pants — most of the time, you might not notice if your waist is expanding.
“We often recommend that people maybe once every month or so, take a tape measure around their waist and monitor circumference, because that is such a good measure of whether they’re gaining weight,” said JoAnn Manson, MD, DrPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
You’re losing your motivation
“When people start to put on too many pounds, it’s harder for them to stay motivated,” John Ratey, MD, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, told Eat This, Not That. “They’re more lethargic — in everything, not just in their pursuit of wellness.”
The solution is to be realistic when setting goals. “Don’t set outrageous goals, which a lot of people do when they’re trying to lose weight,” Ratey said. “Go small and obtainable. It’s important to have those weekly victories, if you will, because that adds to a positive self-concept. Feeling better about yourself helps you push forward.”
Your test results might be off
“Some individuals will experience the metabolic ramifications of obesity, such as elevated blood glucose, at a BMI of 30, the technical definition of obesity, while others will not,” said Kirsten Davidson, Ph.D., professor and associate dean for research at Boston College. “Genetic predispositions, including the distribution of fat storage (e.g., is it stored in the abdomen?) will play a role.”
Despite having “metabolically healthy obesity,” a recent study published in the journal Diabetologia showed people still face a heightened risk of disease.
A team at the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow has found a normal metabolic profile doesn’t mean a person is truly healthy. This is because they have a greater risk of having heart disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases and strokes.
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