Obesity and Strokes

Every year, we find several people suffering from a stroke all around the globe. Out of these, many strokes prove to be fatal.

The relation between obesity and strokes has been a major subject of several studies for many years now. Although the risk of a stroke increases with age, it has been seen that many people who suffer from a stroke each year also suffer from either obesity or other obesity-related disorders.

Symptoms of a Stroke
Understanding the various warning signs and symptoms of a stroke is critical to ensure quick medical treatment. Some of the symptoms include:

• Numbness or tingling sensation in any part of the body or face
• Severe, unexplained headaches
• Unexplained weakness or dizziness
• Trouble in expressing ideas or pronouncing simple words
• A sudden fall
• Difficulty in understanding simple words or questions
• Losing vision - partly or completely

Each of these signs indicate a medical emergency. If you experience any such symptoms, visit a hospital immediately.

While doctors agree that certain people are more prone to having a stroke, they also suggest that maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle can lower the risk in several cases. Repeated studies have shown that each unit increase in BMI is associated with an increased risk of stroke to some extent.

The brain relies heavily on the carotid arteries and vertebral arteries in the neck for its blood flow. High blood pressure is considered to be the leading cause of stroke along with other contributing factors such as diabetes, sleep apnea, heart enlargement, and metabolic disorders. Obese people are highly prone to all these medical conditions, and this can affect the proper functioning of the circulatory system.

As a result, the blood flow to the brain gets constricted, thereby increasing inflammation and adding stressors to the blood vessel walls. This clearly shows that obese people are at a higher risk of getting a stroke.

In such a scenario, many obese patients are undergoing bariatric surgery to reduce the risk of obesity-related disorders. A weight loss surgery is known to drastically reduce the risk of strokes and other cardiovascular diseases.

In fact, bariatric surgery for diabetes is becoming increasingly popular as it can reduce the risk of obesity-related disorders and strokes.

Any bariatric procedure has the potential to help patients achieve their long-term goals of maintaining a healthy weight. However, patients must ensure to take proper precautions post-surgery, and undergo the procedure only under the strict guidance of the top obesity surgeons who have years of experience in performing several bariatric procedures and transforming the lives of patients.

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Belly Fat and Its Ill-Effects on Health

Belly fat is an accumulation of excessive fat around the stomach and abdomen up to the extent that it is likely to have a negative impact on health. Abdominal obesity is not confined only to the elderly and obese subjects. On the other hand, one can be thin and still have abdominal fat if one is not fit.

Basically, abdominal fat is of two types:

Subcutaneous fat - Subcutaneous fat is the fat just under the skin. If one is wondering why one cannot see six-pack abs, it is probably because subcutaneous fat is covering them.

Visceral fat - Visceral fat is sometimes also called intra-abdominal fat. This is because visceral fat is found between our organs in the midsection.

Both types of belly fat have a negative impact on individual health.

Abdominal obesity results in an "apple-shaped" body type, which is more common among men. Women typically accumulate fat around the hips and thighs to develop a "pear-shaped" body type. They can certainly develop "apple-shaped" body types as well.

Evaluation of belly fat -

The two most common ways to measure abdominal obesity are waist circumference and waist size compared to hip size, also known as the waist-to-hip ratio. The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is calculated by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference.

In males, WHR less than 0.90 - 0.95 is considered average but less than 0.85 is considered excellent. Waist measurement of more than 102 cm. (40 in.) is considered unacceptable in men.

In females, WHR less than 0.80 - 0.85 is considered average but less than 0.75 is considered excellent. Waist measurement of more than 88 cm. (35 in.) is considered unacceptable in women.

The most accurate method is to use computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the amount of abdominal fat. But they're expensive and require sophisticated equipment.

Ill-effects of belly fat on health -

Abdominal obesity has a number of ill-effects on our health as mentioned below:

Chronic inflammation - The researchers have confirmed that fat cells inside the abdomen are secreting molecules that increase inflammation. Abdominal fat secrets high levels of an important inflammatory molecule called interleukin-6 (IL-6) into the blood. Increased IL-6 levels in the blood correlate with concentrations of an inflammatory substance called C-reactive protein (CRP) in the body. High CRP levels are related to inflammation, and chronic inflammation, which can lead to a host of diseases.

Pre-diabetes - Carrying a high amount of abdominal fat is known to be associated with insulin resistance, which can lead to glucose intolerance. The condition is called pre-diabetes, which can lead to type-2 diabetes.

Heart disease - Many studies have shown that people who carry excess abdominal fat around their midsection -- a so-called "spare tire" -- tend to face higher risks of heart disease compared to people who have fat elsewhere.

Cancer - Obese people often have chronic low-level inflammation, which can, over time, cause DNA damage that leads to cancer. Belly fat releases proteins that fuel the growth of malignant (cancerous) cells. The research gives a new insight that excess visceral fat may promote cancerous change by releasing a protein called fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2), thus uncovering links between belly fat and cancers of the colon, esophagus, and pancreas.

Cholesterol irregularities - Blood lipid irregularities associated with abdominal obesity include high levels of triglycerides and reduced levels of HDL cholesterol, which causes an increase in the triglyceride to HDL cholesterol ratio.

Alzheimer's disease - There is evidence to suggest that abdominal obesity has a strong link with Alzheimer's disease or dementia because it has a strong correlation with many metabolic conditions.

A low backache - The core of the body is the center of gravity, which will shift due to excess abdominal weight. The shift will pull the body forward in an unnatural posture, potentially straining the lower back.

The bottom line -

It is a well-known fact that excess body fat has serious consequences for health. Despite the excess body weight, the issue is not how much one weighs, but how much abdominal fat one has.

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Today Is Still the Day

"There are two days in the year where you cannot do anything - YESTERDAY and TOMORROW. Only today can you be happy, smile, dream, love, and be thankful." - Pablo

Mindfulness is a huge buzz-word today but being present in the moment and living in a mindful way has been proven to improve health. This is true of all aspects of health, including weight loss. You may have made mistakes that have led to being overweight now, but that is the past. Yesterday. You can't change that.

You may want to do things differently in the future so that you change your results. I applaud you for that but still that is in the future. Tomorrow. You can't do anything about that either - yet.

What you can do is make a change today. Today is the only day you have to work with. It is where we live. The only moment you can change is the one you are in right now.

That is why I called my book, which is now available on Amazon, Today is Still the Day. Today will always be the only time we have to make changes that will have an impact. We will be able to look back on what we did today and assess whether it worked well or not. We can plan ahead but we still have to implement that plan in the moment.

Your perception determines your reality and consequently your behavior. We all have filters created by our past experiences and beliefs that we see life through. Those filters determine how you feel about things and in turn will determine whether you succeed or fail.

For instance if you have tried to lose weight before and haven't succeeded, even if you are using a totally different plan this time, by simply running on autopilot, you will still see your efforts through the filter of your past failure and feel as though it is a losing battle. You may not even be totally conscious of thinking those things, but your subconscious runs your life and that's where your filter resides.

I talk about "refocusing your lens" in the Today is Still the Day plan. What that has to do with is adjusting your filter by becoming aware of it. You can slip off your plan and see it as a failure or you can consider it a lesson learned and move forward smarter.

You can look at a new way of eating as an adventure you will enjoy that will move you toward achieving your fitness goals and a healthy life, or you can look at it as depriving yourself of foods you love. You will totally miss the fact that you will be trying new foods that you may just (and probably will!) enjoy even more. But it all depends on how you see things.

While what you eat and how active you are have a huge impact on your success or failure in getting to the healthy goal you've set, it ALL begins in your thinking NOW.

And you are in control of that! That is very good news because very little seems to be within our control. Your filter is something only you can adjust. That makes you very powerful, maybe more than you ever realized, and has a direct impact on how you feel today. And today is the only day you have.

So I would like to encourage you to open this gift God has given us of today - it is called the present after all! And I would encourage you to consider purchasing my book so you can begin, today, making some changes that can make a huge difference in your tomorrows. It would make a thoughtful gift too!

Ann Musico is a holistic coach and independent nutritional consultant. She has developed a "3-D Living Program" to assist her coaching clients in achieving vibrant health and wholeness - spirit, soul and body. Visit her website at https://www.threedimensionalvitality.com to learn more about the "3-D Living Program," her book, Today is Still the Day, as well as the coaching packages she offers. Subscribe for her free monthly newsletter and weekly email messages.

Health is more than just the absence of illness. Let Ann show you how to create a life of passion and purpose, wholeness and harmony.

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