How Does Being Overweight Harm the Heart?

Want to know your vulnerability to heart disease? Like it or not, one of the best ways to know is to get on the scale. If you're unhappy with what the scale tells you, you're not alone. Despite our national obsession with thinness, Americans are heavier and less active than ever before. Over half of us are overweight, and self-esteem isn't the only thing at stake. Even a few extra pounds can be hard on your heart. If you're on the heavy side, you have the power to reduce much of that danger. By losing weight, you can give your heart a well-deserved break. How much weight is too much? Perceptions of fat and thin can change with the times. For an objective view, doctors use a measure called body mass index (BMI). A 5-foot, 10-inch person who weighs 175 pounds has a BMI of 25, which is considered overweight. (A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered a good weight.) A BMI of 30 and above is considered obese. The biggest shortcoming of the BMI measurement is that it can't distinguish fat from muscle. A chiseled 6-foot-tall football player could easily have a BMI over 30, but no one...