Obesity increases the risk of getting a heart attack or having heart failure.

It increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, which could lead to stroke or heart problems.

Increases the incidence of developing diabetes mellitus which in turn is a risk factor for heart disease.

Obesity is one of the important factors behind metabolic syndrome (along with hypertension, insulin resistance and high cholesterol) which increases the risk of developing heart disease.

Obesity increases the levels of bad or LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and reduces levels of good or HDL cholesterol. Excess cholesterol circulates in the blood and gets deposited in artery walls leading them to thicken and narrow. This contributes to coronary heart disease and ischaemic heart disease.

Four tips to lose weight

Maintain a food journal and religiously write down everything you eat. Do this for a couple of weeks and you will notice an eating pattern emerging. Consciously stay away from the factors that cause you to eat more for e.g. watching television while eating distracts and consequently you tend to eat more quantity of food ; so does eating that bar of chocolate after a long workday

Smart tips for weight loss include drinking a glass of water before every meal so you feel full and eat less; also try sipping iced water throughout the day as the body uses calories to bring up the temperature of the cold water. Also use smaller dinner plates than the regular size, this tricks your brain into thinking that the plate is full as compared to a big plate with less food on it.

Create an exercise plan to shed the extra kilos. Enrol in a gym or work out with a friend. The key is to stay motivated and work out regularly.

Document your weight loss every month. Give yourself a small treat for meeting each goal, the treat should preferably be something other than food.

Source: sify.com 

BDST: 1620 HRS, APR-30, 2014