A recently published U.S. study reports that even a small amount of excess fat will significantly increase the risk of heart failure.
It's no surprise that obesity (defined as being around 20% overweight) will increase the risk of heart failure. But this latest study indicates that even carrying just a little excess fat has risks for the heart.
Researchers have closely recorded the health of over 21,000 U.S. male doctors for twenty years to gather data. They have found that even those who were only slightly overweight were at greater risk of heart problems, and the likelihood of them experiencing problems increased the more overweight they were.
The study found that men who are about 5 feet 10 inches tall increased their risk of heart failure by about 11 percent for every 3.2kg (7 pounds) of excess weight. Heart failure is a major factor in as many as 300,000 deaths in the United States each year.
Exercise appears to be crucial factor in reducing the risk of heart problems. People who exercise only 2 or 3 times a month, reduced their risk of heart failure by around 18% when compared with others who took no exercise.
As we enter the Christmas period of mass-over-indulgence it is sobering to think about the harm that each of us could be doing to our hearts with every mince pie we eat. Here are a few suggestions that I hope will help you keep off those health-threatening pounds over the festive season:
Drink Lots of Water: Always have a glass of water with every meal. Ensuring your body remains hydrated helps to burn fat. Also, water will not add pounds to your waistline.
Wear Tight Clothes: This is a simple way to monitor any build up of flab. If you wear clothes that are a snug fit you will soon be aware of any additional body fat accumulated during your festive indulgences.
Compensate for Treats with Exercise: You know you are going to be tempted by all sorts of lovely treats so make certain you burn them off with adequate exercise. Its useful to know exactly what you need to do in order to use up the energy provided by that mince pie before you eat it.
Don't Give in to Temptation: Much easier said than done. But if you remind yourself that by eating that last mince pie you will need to do an hours vigorous exercise that may be enough to steer you away from the temptation.
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