MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for health. In addition to lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure, it can also lower the risk of many different cancers.

Move more, eat less. Turning off the television and skipping the sugary drinks are two ways to get started.

Your weight, your waist size, and the amount of weight gained since your mid-20s can have serious health implications. These factors can strongly influence your chances of developing the following diseases and conditions:

Cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke

Diabetes

Cancer

Arthritis

Gallstones

Asthma

Cataracts

Infertility

Snoring

Sleep apnea

If your weight is in the healthy range and isn’t more than 10 pounds over what you weighed when you turned 21, focus on maintaining that weight by watching what you eat and exercising.

Because most adults between the ages of 18 and 49 gain 1-2 pounds each year, stopping and preventing weight gain should be a priority. Gaining weight as you age increases the chances of developing one or more chronic diseases.