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What Causes Obesity? NYC’s Top Cardiologist Weighs In

It doesn’t take a top cardiologist to tell you that our population, when all told, is overweight or obese. It does, however, take a top cardiologist to tell you what that fact means in terms of your ongoing cardiac health. Let’s start look at some statistics.

The True Picture Of Healthnyc-heart-specialist

According to the World Heart Federation, an estimated 400 million adults are obese and another billion are overweight. This worldwide picture does not get any brighter when we look at the younger generation. An estimated 17.6 million children under the age of five are overweight. What is the reason for this shift in worldwide health? Ask yourself about the changes we’ve seen in the latter half of this century.

Over the last five years, a lot has been written about the benefits of the Paleo (caveman) Diet. The basic principle of that diet is as follows: If the cavemen ate it, you can too. It sounds over-simplified, but to be honest, there is something to be said for its basis. Our lifestyle has certainly changed.

Generally, human beings used to have a more natural, plant-based diet. There was also a lot of physical activity involved in obtaining the necessary elements of that diet:

  • fresh fruits and vegetables
  • nuts and seeds
  • lean protein

Today, our diet is:

  • high sugar/fat
  • energy-dense
  • animal-based

Realistically, this – coupled with an increased level of inactivity – spells trouble for both your waistline and your heart.

Heart Disease Risk Factors – Breaking It Down Into Individual Ratios

As a top cardiologist can attest, it’s important to know how your weight affects your heart function. For instance, being overweight increases your risk for:

  • hypertension
  • diabetes
  • atherosclerosis
  • cardiovascular disease

Doctors use a calculation based on your height and weight, called Body Mass Index (BMI), to help determine your risk of heart disease.

By no means is this a perfect predictor, but as your BMI increases, so does your risk of heart disease and stroke. A BMI greater than 21 affects your heart health. If it’s 25, you are overweight; at 30, you are considered obese. Of course, there are visible risk indicators, too.

If you carry extra weight around your middle, that intra-abdominal fat:

  • slows down your metabolism
  • interferes with insulin production
  • raises blood pressure

Malfunctions affecting heart health.

Top Cardiologist in NYC for Obesity

Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site.  Call us at (212) 367-8000.

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