Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity

Shalom Friends,

I wanted to share something that really struck me from an article I recently read from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health, about the long-term health risks associated with being overweight and obesity.

I think most people understand that carrying excess weight can be detrimental to their health. But I’m not sure we always appreciate how many different areas of the body can be affected over time. The NIDDK writes that being overweight or having obesity “may increase your risk for many health problems,” including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, breathing problems, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. (NIDDK)

This subject is personal to me. Thank G-d, I’ve never struggled with being overweight, but my father passed away at the relatively young age of 73 after decades of health issues related to diabetes and heart problems. He smoked for decades, didn’t exercise the way he should have, and didn’t always follow the diet he needed. Watching that experience makes articles like this hit me differently.

One statistic from the NIDDK article especially jumped out at me: “Nearly 9 in 10 people with type 2 diabetes have overweight or obesity.” The article also explains that over time, high blood sugar can contribute to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, nerve damage, and other health problems. (NIDDK)

I’m not sharing this to scare anyone or to judge anyone based on a number on a scale. There are health issues we cannot control, and there are conditions that cannot simply be reversed through diet or exercise. But there are also things that many of us can work on. We can become more active. We can work toward an appropriate weight with the guidance of our doctors.

We can increase our strength, flexibility, mobility, and cardiovascular fitness. The NIDDK notes that reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent certain health problems, keep them from getting worse, and in some cases even help them go away. (NIDDK)

I think about health almost like compound interest. We all understand how money can compound over time. Unfortunately, debt can compound too. I believe our daily health decisions can work similarly. Small choices made consistently over many years can add up in either direction.

I see the positive side of that in my own body. The more consistently I exercise, the more returns I see. And I’m not talking about huge muscles or looking like a bodybuilder. I’m talking about having more energy, being stronger for basic activities, thinking more clearly, handling stress better, and hopefully maintaining the ability to do the things I want and need to do as I get older.

The NIDDK even points out that for people at risk for type 2 diabetes, losing just 5% to 7% of starting body weight may help prevent or delay diabetes. Sometimes meaningful change doesn’t require completely transforming yourself overnight. (NIDDK)

Of course, G-d is in control of everything. None of us is guaranteed health or longevity because we exercise or eat properly. But that doesn’t remove our responsibility to do our part.

So please, take this to heart. If you haven’t been paying attention to your health, start today. Not next month. Not when life gets less busy. Today.

I give everyone a blessings that we should have the strength and wisdom to take care of the bodies Hashem has given us, and that doing so should help us live lives of greater quality, purpose, and, G-d Willing, quantity as well.

Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), “Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity.” (NIDDK)