Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just under 40 percent of Americans are obese.

Obesity significantly increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension and coronary disease. How do you know if you are overweight or obese? An individual is considered obese if his or her body mass index (BMI) is 30 or above. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 indicates a person is overweight.

Belly fat is more than an aesthetic issue

If you tend to gain weight around your midsection, you should be vigilant about weight management. Abdominal or visceral fat collects not only outside the abdominal wall, but inside as well. It’s different from the fat you might have on your arms, hips or thighs.

While people can develop visceral fat as the result of a sedentary lifestyle, the fat itself is quite active. Abdominal fat secretes large amounts of toxic substances. These substances increase your blood pressure by tightening your blood vessels, cause inflammation throughout your body and make it difficult for your body to handle blood glucose.

All of these problems are happening under the surface and you may not be aware of them. For example, you may not be able to tell that your blood sugar or cholesterol numbers are abnormal without a blood test at your doctor's office.

Weight loss can reverse chronic conditions

The silver lining? Obesity is reversible. Research has found that once people get to the point where obesity has led to diabetes, hypertension or coronary disease, they can begin reversing these conditions by losing 5 to 10 percent of their body weight.

Obesity is still a serious issue in America, but it’s not too late to make a change. While weight loss may feel overwhelming, small changes have a snowball effect and can motivate you to keep pursuing your health goals.

Obesity is preventable. Even a small change can make a difference. Here are some changes can you make to drop pounds for better health:

Get fit:

Learn your workout personality type

Choose the best calorie-burning activities for you 

Squeeze exercise into even the busiest days 

Eat healthy:

Try fresh new recipes

Learn how to avoid common pitfalls at the grocery store

Fill your diet with nutritional superfoods

De-stress:

Give yourself a 20-minute mini-massage

Utilize stress reduction tips 

Make time for activities you enjoy

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