response 266 of 378:

Mar 9 22:49 UTC 2006

 And I am not in denial that severe obesity (more than 100lbs overweight
 which is a catagory I fall into) is a health risk for certain things. I
 have read studies that have shown that obesity is a risk if one has to
 have surgury. It is a risk for certain types of cancer. It is a risk
 for heart disease. But it isnt as great of a risk as most people think
I think 35 lbs over is obese and 100 lbs over is "morbidly obese".
Certainly the threats to life are mostly related to heart disease but the
risks to health are much greater when one is morbidly obese. I don't consider
those facts some sort of prejudice or folklore.  Knee problems are very common
for the morbidly obese.  Enlarged heart by itself should be enough to get a
person into the doc let alone knowing your cholesterol levels.