A new study shows that being overweight in mid-life substantially increased the risk of dying of heart disease later when they get older. This finding is based on a research by Northwestern University as result of tracking 17,643 patients for 3 decades. Even people with healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels when the study began are not safer.

Overweight people are more likely to have heart disease, as they are more likely to have a higher blood pressure and cholesterol. Both hike the risk of heart disease. Statistics shows obesity can cause heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.

So if your weight is above normal level, you need to shed a few pounds for the sake of your health.

How do you know for sure if you are overweight or not? You can tell that by your Body Mass Index, BMI for short. Generally speaking, a person whose BMI index is above 25 is considered overweight.

BMI Weight Status Below 18.5 Underweight  18.5  24.9 Normal  25.0  29.9 Overweight  30.0 and Above   Obese

You can calculate your BMI by the following formula:

English Formula
BMI= weight in pounds/(height in inches x height in inches) x 703

Metric Formula
BMI= weight in kilograms/(height in meters x height in meters)

Even if you dont quite mind being overweight, its better to keep your weight at normal level for your health.