There is a point in our lives when we ask ourselves about our weight. Actually, given the way we go on and off diets, there may be several points in our lives when we take a look at the number on the weight scale. More often than not, the question we end up asking ourselves is, “Am I overweight?” But there is a group of people within this audience that would ask a different question. That question is, “Am I obese?”

All people are at risk when they are overweight. Health experts tell us that we are in danger of heart disease, high cholesterol, fatigue, and other complications when we are overweight. But for people who are obese, the risk is even greater and should doctor|seek the care of their physician to understand the effects of obesity and devise a plan to lose weight in a safe manner.

It’s when we ask ourselves “am I obese” and then answer “yes” that we come to a point that we accept we are unhealthy. Denying that we have a problem is what got us there in the first place. But once we finally accept the reality of it, we place ourselves on the right path to not only making our lives healthier, but actually adding years back to our lives by making healthier choices. There are, after all, lots of choices that have been successful for many people, like something called a gastric balloon.

To truly know whether we are either overweight or obese, we must consult our doctor. He or she will be able to run the appropriate tests we need to make a well-informed determination. But for purposes of this article, obesity is defined as having too much body fat that can eventually lead up to problems like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and others. Even though we may not feel unhealthy now despite the weight we carry, we are still at risk as these conditions are silent killers within our bodies.

One of tests that our physician is likely to perform on us is to calculate our BMI, or Body Mass Index. This is a combination of our weight and height. On average, if we have a BMI that exceeds 30, then we are considered to be at risk due to our current state of health and should immediately seek medical help. Regardless of solution we choose, the problem will not go away over night, nor in a week or month. It took time to get our bodies to the condition they are in right now and it will take some time to reverse the process and get us back to proper health.

If you answered yes when you asked yourself “am I obese”, then you might feel apprehension and unsure of what to do. The physical signs may be obvious: our clothes don’t fit us and are getting harder to find in our size at the store, our stomach folds over the waistline, we are short of breath by just walking. But we can be stubborn at times and think to ourselves that we are not “that” fat. Or we may be foolish to think that we can get started tomorrow on a new diet. Well, tomorrow comes and goes, and we find ourselves at the same weight and getting larger as each day goes by.

Take solace in the fact that we are not alone and we are justifiably scared. But there is help and lots of it. As stated before, our best resource is going to be our doctor.

Someone who is facing obesity can increase their chances of success by making a commitment to a loved one, a friend, and most importantly to themselves. They can make a promise that they are going to lose weight regardless of how difficult it will be. Let’s say it’s a friend. The friend should encourage you and also hold you accountable for your progress as you continue on your journey to meet your thinner self.

Research has shown that it can take about 45 days to change a habit, maybe more. It can be difficult to “re-wire” the way we do things and fighting obesity is probably the hardest of them all because it involves our love affair with food. Perhaps it is a favorite snack we like to indulge in or the pleasure we have in consuming food until we have that full feeling. Either way, in order to achieve anything, especially with obesity, we need to set accessible short term goals. For instance, attempting to lose 10 pounds by next week is an unrealistic goal and is an unsafe way to consistently lose fat. But trying to lose a couple of pounds this week, and the next, and so on, all while following your doctor’s orders for the plan he has put you on is a little more realistic. Your sense of accomplishment will help motivate you further plus you will feel good about yourself, both mentally and physically.

So “am I obese?” is what you should be asking yourself. Answering this question honestly can be the first step in restoring your body to health whether you are overweight or obese. Be forgiving of yourself. Believe that you can go back to when you were a thinner persons. You will not be alone in this journey, but you must realize that you are the one in charge if you are to reach a successful body weight. No amount of help and planning is going to do it for you.

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