Let’s Get Serious About Obesity, Part 4

Obesity is a major foe of the heart.  It is apt to occur early among African American women and the medical community is seeing heart disease earlier and worse in these women.  The obesity epidemic is raging and early death and major disability will be seen in women of color if the disease is not controlled.

Hypertension is one of the related cardiac diseases seen with obesity. It tends to develop early in women who are overweight and stroke, due to uncontrolled blood pressure, can also occur early and is common.  Usually, a return to optimal weight or near optimal weight will cause blood pressure to become normal.

Obesity is directly caused by eating too much of the wrong type of food and a lack of sufficient, daily exercise.

An early sign of obesity is ankle and feet swelling.  Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and knee and hip degeneration will occur is obesity continues.