With overweight and obesity growing at an alarming rate in this country, excess weight is rapidly becoming a health and an economic burden. Being overweight is a risk factor for several chronic diseases including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and chronic liver disease.

These serious medical conditions are of great cost to those afflicted, both in terms of expenses for medications and other treatments and also because of shortened lifespan. For those older than 65, annual Medicare costs for treatment of heart and heart-related diseases differ significantly from $6,200 for normal weight women to $9600 for obese women and a shocking $12,300 for the severely obese. Similar increases are estimated in Medicare costs for men. Over a lifetime, Medicare charges can add up to $100,000 more for treatment of cardiovascular-related diseases for those who are obese from young adulthood. In addition, years of life lost due to obesity can be as high as 10 or more years for young persons who remain obese over a lifetime.

Overweight individuals also are more susceptible to debilitation from joint pain, osteoarthritis and joint replacement surgery. According to the National Health and Nutrition Surveys, between 1988 and 1994, 37 percent of obese adults aged 60 and older reported themselves to be disabled, having difficulty performing tasks such as walking a quarter mile, climbing up 10 steps, stooping, lifting 10 lbs, or standing up from an armless chair. Between 1999 and 2004, that number rose to 42 percent for older, obese persons and the chance of being impaired in performing these activities was almost twice as high for obese adults over 60, as compared with those of normal weight. While joint and skeletal problems may be less serious from the standpoint of shortened lifespan, they are of enormous cost to the community in terms of joint replacement surgeries and in lost workdays.

The good news is, even a moderate weight loss of only 10 percent of body weight can yield substantial benefits in terms of health and economic benefits. Lowering body weight can actually reverse diabetes – or even prevent it in some individuals – and can result in lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and improved sleep. Some patients can even reduce the number of medications they take for these diseases.

Weight loss tips from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute include getting 30 or more minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week, eating more fruits and vegetables, and increasing whole grains and lean protein in your diet. Reading nutrition labels and writing down what you eat in a diet diary have also been shown to facilitate weight loss. People who are successful in losing weight and sustaining that loss are those who make small changes in their lives that they continue over time. Consistently getting more physical exercise and eating healthier meals are the best ways to achieve this. It takes about eight to 12 weeks to begin to notice these effects on blood pressure and cholesterol and to feel better.

Studies suggest that, even if you don’t get down to your desired weight, maintaining a regular program of physical exercise and eating better lead to improved overall health and less cardiovascular disease. The reassuring news is that dramatic weight loss is often not necessary to experience significant health benefits.

Begin today to make these small changes and reassess how you’re doing in four to six months. Remember, no one is perfect, so apply the “80-20 rule.” Make healthy changes about 80 percent of the time and allow yourself a little splurge the other 20 percent. Stick with it and you’ll be surprised to see how much healthier you feel, You might even – with your doctor’s approval – find that you are taking less medicines.

Pamela Marcovitz M.D. is the director of the Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. Opened in 2002, the Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center is the first and only cardiac center in Michigan designed expressly for the prevention, diagnosis and research of women’s heart disease. This state-of-the-art facility features on-site diagnostic capabilities, including stress tests, EKGs and echocardiograms (heart ultrasounds). To receive more information on heart disease or the Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center, please call 248-898-4760.