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Diet and Weight Loss Losing Weight

The Health Risks of Being Overweight

Summary & Participants

For people who are overweight, losing those extra pounds is more than a cosmetic issue. It may just be a lifesaver.

Medically Reviewed On: August 11, 2008

Webcast Transcript

KRYSTIN: I lost my father at the age of 46 to a stroke. He was a smoker and a heavy eater. And I’m 43. I feel that that's coming and I’m not being conscious of that.

ANNOUNCER: Krystin is worried about the effect her weight is having on her health.

KRYSTIN: It's in my knees when I’m walking up a flight of stairs. I feel it when I’m just bending down to clean up to do something.

JANA KLAUER, MD, METABOLISM EXPERT: Almost every system of the body is made worse by excessive weight. It increases the risk for type two diabetes, for arthritis problems, problems of the hips and knees and feet.

ANNOUNCER: When it comes to health, not all body fat is created equal.

JANA KLAUER, MD, METABOLISM EXPERT: Excessive fat carried in the middle of the body indicates a visceral fat. Visceral fat increases your risk for cardiovascular disease and cancers within the body.

ANNOUNCER: Waist size is an important indicator of risk.

JANA KLAUER, MD, METABOLISM EXPERT: A waist size of greater than 40 inches for a man is a risk factor. A waist size of greater than 35 inches for a female is a risk factor.

ANNOUNCER: Yo-yo dieting can also increase health risks.

JANA KLAUER, MD, METABOLISM EXPERT: The reason why that is harmful is every time you lose weight you lose a little bit of muscle mass. When you regain weight, you do not regain muscle mass but rather fat.

ANNOUNCER: Krystin is frustrated by the roller coaster of failed diets. But she’s also scared of giving up.

KRYSTIN: That part is very scary, that people who care about me, they say to me, "this is not good for you. This is not good." I say, "I know. I know.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily.