I know people that are overweight and believe that as long as they don’t have high blood pressure or current signs of heart disease, they can continue on their merry way. They think, “Hey, my health markers are good! No reason for me to change my habits! I can eat anything I please!”
Not so fast.
In a study published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers found that slightly less than half the 6,809 people that were 30 pounds or more overweight went on to develop metabolic syndrome within 10 years of “good” blood pressure and other health marks.
In short, around 50% of the people that appeared to be healthy in the face of being overweight developed health problems within 10 years. Right now, researchers cannot predict which 50% will stay healthy and which will go on to develop disease risk factors including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels and abdominal fat — which double the risk of cardiovascular disease that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. In addition, these risk factors increase the risk of diabetes by five times.
If you know anyone that is overweight and claiming they have nothing to worry about, show them this study. Encourage them to drop those extra pounds.
