The benefits of maintaining a healthy weight go far beyond improved energy and smaller clothing sizes. By losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight, you are also likely to enjoy these quality-of-life factors too.

• Greater ability to join in desired activities
• Better regulation of bodily fluids and blood pressure
• Reduced burden on your heart and circulatory system
• Better sleep patterns
• More effective metabolism of sugars and carbohydrates
• Reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers

Your BMI is a good indicator of whether you’re at a healthy or unhealthy weight. Find your BMI and what it means with our handy BMI Calculator.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index This is a numerical value of your weight in relation to your height. BMIs are good indicators of healthy or unhealthy weights for adult men and women, regardless of body frame size. A BMI of less than 25 indicates a healthy weight. A BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or higher indicates obesity.

Excess weight increases the heart’s work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It can make diabetes more likely to develop, too. Losing as few as 10 pounds can lower your heart disease risk.
To calculate your BMI:

Select a status option if you’re under 20 years old, highly trained/athletic, pregnant or breastfeeding. If one of these situations applies to you, the BMI may not be the best method of assessing your risk from overweight or obesity.

Everyone needs a goal and we need positive reasons to achieve those goals. Even taking off a few pounds can provide you with cardiovascular benefits, so every step in the right direction is a step toward healthier living. Consider these reasons to work toward maintaining a healthy weight.

Your body more effectively circulates blood

Your fluid levels are more easily managed

You are less likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and sleep apnea.
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 around your waist — you’re at higher risk for health problems, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

• Raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• Lowers HDL “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is linked with lower heart disease and stroke Risk, so reducing it tends to raise the risk.
• Raises blood pressure levels.
• Can induce diabetes. In some people, diabetes makes these other risk factors much worse. The danger of heart attack is especially high for these people.
• Even when there are no adverse effects on the known risk factors, obesity by itself increases risk of heart disease. It also harms more than just the heart and blood vessel system. It’s a major cause of gallstones and can worsen degenerative joint disease.

Obesity is mainly caused by taking in 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.

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