Overweight women are more prone to have pregnancy complications. In women, being overweight and obese are higher among members of racial and ethnic minority populations than in non-Hispanic white women.

Obese and overweight women are at increased risk of getting suspicious results from screening mammograms

According to doctors an ideal weight would be inside the healthy weight range for women as defined by the Body Mass Index – a BMI between 19 and 24.9. That give a fair amount of wiggle room, and takes into account different body types and ethnicity, rather than a slavish following of fashion.

Again, there is no fast fix for weight loss, and a lack of overall fitness, other than to exercise and eat right every day. It is also a matter of common sense–paying hundreds of dollars for a bottle of weight loss pills is ridiculous when you could be buying a ton of salad and fat free dressing and lean protein like fish and chicken with that same amount of cash.

So the next time you think about going on a diet, why not try to get a bit more fit first. Spend an additional 2 minutes each day on the treadmill. By the end of the week that will be an extra ten minutes added to your work out. Not working out every day of the week? Consider it all part of your work to stay fit.

Think you don’t have time to exercise? Why not get off one stop before or after your usual stop on the way to work or on the way home, and walk the rest of the way.  Then make it 2 stops and so on.  Walk to the corner store instead of taking the car, and save gas at the same time.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Even going down counts, and in fact, exercises a totally different set of muscles.

As for eating, soup and salad are a great way to start any meal so long as they are not cream-based, and help you feel full for few calories.

Applying just a couple of these strategies every day, and staying away from pills, meal replacement bars, and fast fixes, is the best way to not only lose weight, but incorporate weight management into your daily life to keep the pounds off.

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7. Older birth mothers.
Older birth mothers’ children are more prone to excess weight gain than the offspring of younger mothers.

8. Genetics. Obese moms may pass the trait onto their children in utero.

9. Higher body weight = greater fertility.
Heavy people produce more offspring than thinner people. Having said that, being obese can interfere with conception.

10. Assortative mating.
Heavy people tend to form relationships  with each other, and therefore produce heavy children.

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1. Less sleep.
We’ve gone from an average of nine down to about to seven hours of sleep a night; sleep deprivation is linked to a more robust appetite. And of course, if you are awake, you have that many more hours to fall prey to mindless eating.

2. Pesticides, Bovine Growth Hormone, and other chemicals in foods.
These substances can change hormonal activity, which can boost body fat.

3. Air conditioning and heating.
We don’t sweat and shiver as much as our ancestors, so we don’t burn as many calories.

4. Fewer smokers.
Nicotine is an appetite suppressant.

5. Greater use of medications.
Medications such as antidepressants and diabetes drugs, which have weight gain as a potential side effect. This also highlights just what a problem diabetes has become in this country.

Despite the fact that obesity is supposed to be an epidemic in the US, the idea of dieting seems to have become so much a part of American life, that most women who diet don’t even need to lose weight.

Even if they do, the trouble is that frequent dieting is a short term solution that can lead to long-term health problems which can be just as much of a challenge as that posed by being overweight.

“Dieting” is now a massive global industry, with diet plans, books, courses, online tool,s and supplements which all add up to billions in revenue. If a diet is only supposed to last as long as it takes to lose the weight, it is obviously in their interests to keep you on their program for as long as possible.

Most of the buyers of those products are women, and in fact, advertising campaigns for these products are directed at women 9 times out of 10.

Women diet because of social pressures, particularly preconceived notions of what society expects them to look like, most especially in terms of body type and weight.

As a result,  women are more likely to develop eating disorders than men, though as pressure to conform and look good is on the rise, this trend could affect young men even more than at present.

It is estimated that on any given day, about half of all American women (and girls) are on a diet, an alarming number considering how many are therefore not eating right.

While it is true that excess weight poses health challenges for women, they should concentrate on getting fit and staying lean, not on the process of dieting.

Speaking of consulting with your doctor, your doctor may have already recommended that you lose weight.  If your doctor has suggested that you lose weight, it is going to be due to health reasons, not how fab you look in a bikini, so it would be a good idea to pay attention.

If your doctor recommends that you lose weight he or she may be concerned with your health and the possibility of you developing any weight related health complications, such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Of course, it is important to remember that the decision to lose weight is yours to make, based on health. Appearance is important for mental health, but not nearly as important as the negative effects on the body of carrying around excess weight.

Many women are constantly stressed out about or concerned with their appearance. If you would no longer like to spend every day in front of the mirror ashamed of your body or hiding your body from those and you know and love, it may be time to take action.

In addition, fat is not just unsightly, inert tissue in the body. It actually releases toxic substances into your bloodstream which can not only harm your body, but also make it much harder to feel full when you are eating, and to lose weight easily.

If you would like to lose weight, you may be pleased to know that you have a number of different options. Many women are able to develop their own weight loss plans, which often include a regular exercise plan, as well as eating healthy.

You also have the option of joining a local weight loss program or an online weight loss program. These types of programs are nice, as you often get professional advice as well as support from group leaders and other weight loss program members. In a recent study, people who stuck with the Jenny Craig program for a full year lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off as compared with people who did not stick with it, or tried to go it alone.

Take the time to speak with your doctor regarding your weight loss plans or goals, perhaps even a nutritionist as well.  This is especially important if you plan on creating your own at-home weight loss plan.

In addition to giving you the go-ahead, your physician may also offer you a few weight loss tips, tricks, and techniques, ones that you may find helpful.

One thing is for sure, you are by no means alone in your desire to lose weight, so set your goals, and don’t be afraid to ask for support when you need it.

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