Even though obesity can contribute to heart disease, people can take control of their health and prevent both diseases. For American Heart Month, The Obesity Society (TOS) will share several strategies that individuals can engage in to lose weight, get healthy and reduce their risk of heart disease.
The American Heart Association (AHA) gauges the cardiovascular health of the nation by tracking seven key health factors and behaviors that increase risks for heart disease and stroke. These health factors and behaviors are known as “Life’s Simple 7®,” which include not smoking, physical activity, eating a healthy diet, maintaining healthy body weight and taking control of cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
“The heart-healthy lifestyle behaviors that are important for promoting cardiovascular health are very much the same lifestyle behaviors important for maintaining a healthy weight,” said Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, professor of nutrition and associate dean for research at the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Gordon-Larsen’s National Institutes of Health-funded research portfolio focuses on individual, household, and community level susceptibility to obesity and its cardiometabolic consequences.
TOS is planning activities for its staff, members and the public to help promote American Heart Month.
On Feb. 7, 2020, TOS staff will participate in National Wear Red Day®, an annual event to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease and help save lives.
TOS will provide free access to select research articles discussing the connection between obesity and heart health from its official journal Obesity. The Society’s social media channels will feature posts and tweets throughout the month of February to help raise awareness and educate its members and the public.
