Your body is made up of water, fat, protein, carbohydrate and various vitamins and minerals. If you have too much fat - especially if a lot of it is at your waist - you're at higher risk for such health problems as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes (di"ah-BE'teez or di"ah-BE'tis). That increases your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Obesity is now recognized as a major, independent risk factor for heart disease. If you're overweight or obese, you can reduce your risk for heart disease by successfully losing weight and keeping it off."