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www.AbbysHealthFood.com - Issue 39 | Page 19 The link between BMI and health risks is well established. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health condi ons: 1. High blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension refers to increased pressure as blood flows through the arteries. Elevated blood pressure forces the heart to work harder than normal to circulate blood throughout the body. 2. High blood cholesterol or dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of fat in the blood) occurs when levels of cholesterol (a type of fat that your body needs to work properly) and other fats in the blood are not normal. 3. Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin and/ or the body's cells have trouble using the insulin it does produce. Insulin is necessary for sugar (glucose) to be taken up by body cells for energy produc on. Without insulin, blood sugar levels build up in the blood. If untreated, serious complica ons result. 4. Coronary heart disease or coronary artery disease (CHD or CAD): CHD or CAD is the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women. It is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. 5. Stroke occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a por on of the brain is blocked. Without oxygen, brain cells start to die a er a few minutes. There are two major types of stroke: Ten HEALTH CONSEQUENCES of Being OVERWEIGHT or OBESE ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked by a blood clot. These may be caused by clogged arteries from accumula on of fat, cholesterol, and other substances that collect on the artery walls, or from other causes like a blood clot traveling from elsewhere in the body to the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel in part of the brain becomes weak and bursts open, causing blood to leak into the brain. 6. Gallbladder disease occurs when bile, which is normally stored in the gallbladder and helps digest dietary fat, becomes concentrated and thick. Gallstones are formed when bile hardens. 7. Osteoarthri s is a gradual deteriora on of the joint ssue dues to excessive wear and tear. 8. Sleep Apnea is a condi on in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, or shallow breaths occur, during sleep because of par al or total blockage of the airway. 9. Cancer, including cancer of the esophagus, breast, endometrium, colon and rectum, kidneys, pancreas, thyroid, gallbladder, and possibly others are associated with overweight and obesity. 10. Nonalcoholic Fa y Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Nonalcoholic Steatohepa s (NASH) NAFLD is a condi on in which fat builds up in the liver. In NASH, fat in the liver is accompanied by inflamma on and fibrosis, or scarring, of the liver. NASH is an advanced form of NAFLD. NAFLD and NASH affect the liver in the same way that alcoholic liver disease does, but NAFLD and NASH occur in people who drink li le or no alcohol.