Dependent on other People

Being overweight has quite a negative impact on your health, that we all do know. But did you know that it can also make you unnecessarily dependent on other people? Many of the patients coming to me for occupational therapy after a stroke or with joint problems were overweight. And it made things rather difficult for them.

The excess weight gave them "double-trouble". Firstly, with a healthy weight they might not have suffered the stroke in the first place, since overweight, often going together with unhealthy eating habits and insufficient physical activity, is a risk factor that enhances the risk of many diseases (like diabetes or high blood pressure and other conditions which eventually may lead to a heart attack or stroke).

Secondly, when they had fallen ill, it made life even more difficult for them. It is hard enough to cope with the loss of functions due to a stroke, and excess weight most definitely won't help to recover. Try to step into their shoes: If half of your body wasn't working properly, if you are battling to walk and move yourself from A to B, wouldn't you be thankful for every single kilo you don't have to move? Would it not be easier to reach some level of independence when you weighed less? And wouldn't it be much easier for the person caring for you, too? If then you finally realize that you need to lose weight, it's gonna be too late. How are you gonna do this when you can barely move?

And when you are hit by diseases like back problems, arthritis or arthrosis, any overweight is just going to speed up the progress of the disease by putting unnecessary strain on the joints. It will lead to earlier dependence on others, and the joint might need to be replaced by an artificial one much earlier. Maybe a healthy weight could even have avoided that operation? "Okay, I'm gonna lose weight", you might say. How, with your joints paining whenever you move?

So, rather lose that excess weight whilst you still can. No one can give you a guarantee that you won't fall ill. After all, the overweight is not the primary cause of these diseases, it is "only" enhancing their risk. But with losing weight you will definitely lower your risk of such diseases significantly. And you will improve your possibilities of reaching a higher level of independence, should such a disease still hit you. You will also benefit right now from better health and more self-esteem. Who likes to be fat?

It does not cost you much effort to maintain your health and independence. But once you have lost them, they are not so easy to regain. Isn't it better to prevent than to cure?