At what point can your weight kill you?

caimay149
caimay149 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Lately I've been freaking myself out about dying from a heart attack. It might be to do with my dad's birthday just having come and gone, and although he was at the lower end of a healthy weight he died 14 years ago from heart-related stuff. Or maybe it's because I've been binge-watching last season's biggest loser and it's really reminding me that this is NOT just about wearing a bikini on the beach next summer. I could actually die if I don't lose weight!

At 5'8 and a starting weight of 210lbs (CW 204lbs), I am obese. I exercise a LOT - at least an hour a day, due to dance, and I lift weights. But I still just have the paranoid fear of my heart giving out.

Also, I have asthma, which for the most part doesn't bother me but every once in a while will rear it's ugly head in the form of shortness of breath and chest pain which makes me think I might be having a heart attack.

If I just get down to 197 and out of the obese range - will I be okay?!?!?

Replies

  • mom2aeris
    mom2aeris Posts: 98 Member
    Whether or not you have a heart attack is not *strictly* about weight. If you're genuinely worried about it, go talk to a doctor and see what they have to say. They'll probably want to do a blood work up, which is the only way you'll be able to find out if you are even close to at risk for a heart attack. Having a father who passed from a heart attack is bound to be scary, but it doesn't mean you'll definitely have one. Losing weight helps all manner of problems, but you'll also want to be sure that you are in generally good over all health. Speak with your doctor, at least they'll be able to give you a professional opinion on your over all health.
  • shexy16
    shexy16 Posts: 68
    Watching the Biggest Loser will convince a thin person that they're going to die for having 2 oz of fat on their body. Yes, being obese or overweight can cause many health complications, but skinny people have high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart attacks too.
    Since heart disease is in your family, it's a great idea to stay at a healthier weight, but just because you're overweight doesn't mean you'll just fall over dead one day.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    No one can say for sure. There are peole who are a healthy weight who have heart issues/disease. There are also overweight and obese people who have heart issues/disease. There are also overweight/obese people who have really healthy hearts. Your weight can play into it, but it is not the only factor. If heart disease runs in your family, you can be genetically pre-disposed to it.

    You are doing things right though. Losing weight and working out is good for your heart (and joints and overall health). Cardio strengthens your heart. (When I was obese and didn't workout I had a much higher resting heart rate than I do now. I run often and have a resting heart rate in the 50s.)
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Not so much weight wise, but genetically speaking you might be more vulnerable to heart disease. If I were you, I would have a complete physical and mention to your doc about your fathers death in case he wants to test you for certain heart related issues.
    That being said-it's good you're losing the excess weight.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    None of us can tell you this. It's best to talk to your doctor about it. I get the fear...I've got heart disease on both sides of the family. My paternal grandfather died of a massive heart attack after multiple strokes (around age 70) and my maternal grandfather died of a heart attack around age 50. More recently one of my cousins died of a heart attack at age 42. THAT freaked me out.

    So when it was time for my annual, I talked to my doc about it. I'd already been reducing my cholesterol and blood pressure with a healthier diet and exercise so that was helping. She decided to do a Complete Metabolic Profile to check the rest. Thankfully, everything came out great (well, Vit D was low but nothing strictly heart related). My cholesterol is still a bit high but not enough to cause real concern as the ratios are fantastic. As long as I keep my diet healthy and keep exercising, I should be fine. The only other big fix I need to do is quit smoking...and I'm hoping to do that in the next year or so.

    Also be sure to address the chest pain and weight goal with your doc. I've gotten down to the middle (I think) of the overweight range and my doc is pretty happy with that. She'd still like me to get closer to "healthy" but no pressure.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    It's about risk. Being overfat increases your risk. Being in the healthy weight range decreases it. There's no way to say you will or will not have a heart attack, but if you're obese, you're at an increased risk. It's akin to working out a lot but still smoking 2 packs a day - you may not die of cancer, but you're certainly at an increased risk. If you really want to be healthy, getting your weight into a healthy weight is a great start.
  • FemWeight
    FemWeight Posts: 96
    everyone is right its not so much weight as it is genetics . My father has had a five bypass surgery and I've been worried about my health since!

    I've known of people who eat healthy and weight their supposedly right weight and still get heart attacks. I'd try to talk to your doctor and see if you can do anything to help .

    I take fish pills but thats because they had my dad on them awhile back because fish pills are to help the heart to a point :).

    Either way good luck!:flowerforyou:
  • BobbiPartridge
    BobbiPartridge Posts: 13
    I am 21 and weigh 74kg which is about 145lbs. However I do not consider myself to be obese or a larger person I wear size 10-12. Although I do have a unknown heart condition. I am realising that being the healthiest I can be will help with any later complications, being healthy can only help in situations like this. I would have your cholesterol checked to insure it is healthy. But also your blood pressure as mine was found out to be very Low, which can be just as bad a having high blood pressure.

    My advice is to get yourself healthy not just skinny. Insure inside out your body is healthy. Get all the health check ups to find any 'blips' this will help you to know your body and know what you can do to improve it. Loosing weight and fat % helps but it's more than that...

    Make sure your vitamins and minerals are a good level. BMI recordings are useful but don't take Into account muscle mass so bare that in mind. :) I thinks it's about lowering the risk level and taking a component or risk away.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    anytime!

    Because it's emotional, physical, and mental to be excessively overweight for most ppl, not just the unhealthy fat on our bodies.
    . Suicide or substance abuse to cover the feelings of low self-esteem (and everything that comes along with it) come in many forms.

    Seriously, you're actually asking how much excess weight it take to kill you? Your title caught my attention because it made me think of some one asking how much more can they gain before the chances of dieing occur due to too much fat on ones body.

    For some ppl 3 lbs is quite excess on their bodies...their pants get tight, they feel bloated and unhappy with how they feel.

    For someone else life slips away and it's 200 lbs. before they are able to stop and realize the changes they need to make to become healthy.

    Heart attacks and death don't just pick over weight ppl... true athletes can die suddenly during a full marathon, getting in the car etc.

    I guess I just don't understand your question....it's bizarre to me...to wonder something like this.

    Someone can lose all the weight and be at a healthy weight and drop dead.... so I'd say 'at any point your weight or lack there of can kill you'.
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174
    If you have insurance or it's covered by the government, get a stress test done. They will hook you up to heart monitors and have you run on a treadmill. I was born with a heart problem and my dad had a heart transplant in 1984. The test will be monitored by a nurse and heart dr (or assessed by them afterwards). It reassured me, as well as my doctors that I could do cardio activities when I was ready. Of course, we can technically die at any time but the test would give indication of any existing issues, that could influence your activities now. Take care

    Ps. You should also have bloodwork done to rule out other things; but the stress test would also be significant to have done.
  • caimay149
    caimay149 Posts: 65 Member
    Thanks for all the responses. I think I will see my doctor and ask for all the heart tests to see what kind of shape it's in. At least then I'll know for sure. And in the meantime work at losing this weight. Apart from the weight, I'm healthy - I don't drink, I don't smoke, I work out. But my paternal grandmother had a stroke and now has heart problems at 87 ish and my maternal grandmother had a rare heart condition. It's just really scary when you get chest and arm pain and breathlessness at 28 and kind of wonder if you might die this afternoon. :/
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    Being overweight increases your risk for certain diseases, but it is not the only factor. If you are a healthy weight, that doesn't mean your risk is zero... so it is better to be a healthy weight, but that doesn't make you perfect or invincible. There are other factors, such as inflammation, cholesterol, etc. and I will parrot others who have said to talk to a healthcare practitioner if you are truly concerned.

    With all of that said, I had a neighbor and co-worker (I live in a small town and work at the biggest employer in town, so it is not unusual to work with neighbors) who died Monday morning at age 59. He was overweight (around 5'7" and probably about 280 lbs.), and type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and was overall in poor health because of his weight. I'm not sure if it was a heart attack or something else, but he was at high risk. That isn't to say it could never happen to someone his age that is in good health... it just is more likely to be someone who has lifestyle-related health problems.
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174
    You may feel awful and look awful when you do the test (I did ... lol) but my heart was surprisingly fine (with the exception of the problem I was born with). I had cramps in my chest and was sweaty and almost passed out once but it was only because I'm out of shape. The stress test shows the true state of your heart, so try to get it done soon so you can put your mind at ease. Take care :)

    The dr will usually do an EKG at the same time (before your EKG). You just have to lie still and they hook sensors up to different parts of your body for a few minutes.
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174
    You can also have a breathing test done for your asthma, where they hook you up to everything (breathing machine thing) and get you to exercise on a treadmill or bicycle. I had that done and found I need to take my puffer (ventolin/salbutamol) before exercising. Ask your dr for that test also, where you have the asthma too. Take care :)
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    Some people tolerate excess fat better than others. BOTH of my obese grandmothers (one was morbidly obese) died in their 90's of causes unrelated to their obesity. I am 236 pounds but have no other risk factors. No family history of heart disease. Never smoked. I exercise regularly and have for many years. I have very low overall cholesterol and excellent ldl:hdl. no signs of impending diabetes, no high blood pressure. My resting heart rate is 59. I have very little visceral fat (the fat behind the abdominal wall). Some people not knowing my health and family history would assume that because of my severe obesity (only a few pounds away from MORBID obesity) that I'm a heart attack waiting to happen, but my risk of heart attack is actually quite low.

    Now for someone else, even a modest amount of excess fat can be extremely detrimental to their health. My husband is one such person. His grandfather died of a heart attack in his early 50's. His father has heart disease and is in his early 60's. Both of his parents and sister have high blood pressure. He has a family history of diabetes. He has high cholesterol. He is only 20 pounds overweight BUT it's ALL abdominal visceral fat. Other than his belly, he's a very thin man. His 20 pounds of excess fat is actually more dangerous to him than my 90 pounds of excess fat is to me!

    Don't obsess about a specific number. Your heart can't read a BMI chart.
  • bokaba
    bokaba Posts: 171 Member
    Do you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol? It is very unlikely you would have a heart attack at 28, but it is not unheard of. You should she a doctor for a physical. Being obese puts you at a higher risk though and you should be mindful of that as the decades pass. I am obese--probably close to morbidly--but my blood pressure is low, cholesterol is fine, and my heart is in excellent shape. The only person in my family that ever had a heart attack was my grandmother who was 5'8" and weighed around 100 pounds and smokes 40 cigarettes a day for 40 years. You should lose the weight as young as possible if you can.

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