While almost everyone knows that being obese is not healthy, many people who are obese do not know exactly how dangerous the consequences really are.

While obesity itself does not technically kill people, somewhere between 100,000 to 400,000 Americans die from the diseases that come with it each year. Even at the conservative estimates, it is still a huge death toll; much higher than other causes of death which get a lot more press attention.

So, who exactly is classed as being obese? A formula called the body mass index (or simply BMI) is used to calculate who is obese and who is overweight. While those with BMIs of between 25 and 29 are classified as being overweight, those with a BMI of between 30 and 40 are regarded as being obese. Regardless of exactly where you come on this scale, it is important to know the dangers of carrying around too much weight.

Keep in mind that the heart must pump blood 24 hours a day to supply and move this extra weight, and it puts a big strain on it to do so. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, and those with a BMI of above 25 have at least twice the risk of dying from it.

Since over 80% of people who suffer from Type 2 Diabetes are also overweight, there is also a clear link between obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, it appears that being overweight increases the risk of some types of cancers, including colon, kidney and esophagus.

Those are just a few of the fatal diseases to have been directly linked to being obese. Diseases that tend not to be life threatening, but greatly affect quality of life, such as Osteoarthritis, are also a much greater risk for those who are overweight.

Those who are overweight need to take action if they are serious about their health. While there is a ton of information out there, it is advisable to check with a physician and use some common sense.

The majority of the information you can find on the Internet and other places is great, but there is a lot put out just to sell diet and weight loss programs. If something sounds too good to be true, then it is probably best to avoid it. Unfortunately, there are no quick, easy fixes.

Awareness of the dangers of obesity should be motivation enough for people to lose weight. If you are concerned about your own weight, then you should check your BMI today, and start taking immediate action if necessary.
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