by Melissa Nykorchuk

Created on: December 12, 2010

It is often difficult to come to terms with the fact that you have a weight problem.  Where is the turning point that you go from a few pounds overweight to having a problem?  Weight gain occurs over time and if it is slow enough, a weight problem may not be noticed until you step on the scale at a yearly physical.

Excessive Weight Causes Stress On Joints

Spend a few years carrying around extra weight and your knees may begin to suffer.  Knees, ankles and feet can all be effected from having too much weight on your body.  Over time, being fat will exacerbate joint pain and limit physical activity.  When you are less mobile, it will be even easier to gain weight and a viscious cycle is born.

Too Much Weight Can Cause Sleep Problems

Many overweight individauals suffer from sleep apnea, a condition where the airway is restricted and the person does not breathe for a ten second period of time more than five times an hour.  Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation because the person does not get enough long wave sleep.  No matter how long a person with sleep apea sleeps, they will not feel refreshed.  Snoring also occurs more often in people who are overweight and can be a sign of sleep apea.

Diabetes Can Be a Result of Obesity

Diabetes that is brought on by too much stress on the pancreas can often times be reversed by losing weight.  Overweight people put a lot of stress on their body.  The pancreas secretes insulin as a response to high levels of sugar in the body.  When the pancreas is not able to keep up with the damand for insulin, diabetes results.  If left unchecked, diabetes can create a host of problems that include circulation problems and difficulty healing.

Being Overweight is Unhealthy

Weight is gained slowly and effective weight loss will occur slowly as well.  It is important to take a stand and make a decision to stop being overweight.  It is important to learn good nutrition and exercise techniques without crash dieting.  Crash dieting results in rebounds and often people are more overweight in the long run if they are crash dieters than if they didn't try to diet in the first place.

We all know that eating a healthy diet makes us feel better.  Start small and start by putting in healthy foods as much as possible.  Make gradual changes that you can stick with and that won't leave you feeling cheated.  With a good attitude and dedication to losing weight, you will be able to shed pounds while avoiding potentially dangerous illnesses that could have been avoided.

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