Diet and exercise are critical components of a healthful lifestyle. It takes willpower to eat the right kind and amounts of food, and get enough exercise. However, it is critical to make the effort to eat well and exercise because the consequences of not doing so can be quite serious.
Weight Gain
Overeating and not exercising can lead to weight gain, which has serious health consequences. Two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention. It takes 3,500 extra calories to gain 1 lb., which is only 500 calories every day. This is a fairly small amount of food and you migh be consuming more calories than you realized.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a health condition that increases the chance of heart attack and stroke. Being overweight and sedentary increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to MayoClinic.com. Other risk factors for type 2 diabetes include family history, being older than 45 years of age, and being black or American Indian.
Joint Pain
Overeating and not exercising lead to being overweight, which causes extra strain on your joints. Excess weight can lead to arthritis and pain in the legs and ankle. This extra stress on your joints can also make it painful to exercise.
Lack of Energy
A healthful diet provides the variety of vitamins and minerals your body needs, which fuels your energy supply. Overeating might not necessarily provide the needed nutrients, especially if you are eating a lot of junk food. A habit of regular exercise also keeps your energy level high and makes you more capable of coping with stress.
Discrimination
U.S. society has a bias against overweight people. Even though most discrimination is illegal, it is not illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of weight. Overweight and obese workers are sometimes discriminated against in the workplace, especially in the form of being charged more for health insurance.
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