Better rush to shrink that gut. The more years of young adulthood you spend obese, the greater your risk of coronary artery calcification—early, “silent” heart disease with no symptoms—in middle age, says a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In fact, each extra year of obesity between ages 18 and 30 boosts your risk by 2 to 4 percent. Though you don’t notice it, the calcification predicts your risk of future heart problems.
“While 2 to 4 percent per year doesn’t seem very high, this risk adds up over many years and therefore becomes more and more substantial over time,” says study author Jared P. Reis, Ph.D.
The results confirm that losing extra pounds as soon as you can—and keeping them off—tops the list of ways to protect your heart, Reis says. Need motivation? Aim to drop 2 to 4 pounds each week rather than 3. Setting a goal with a high and low range will make you more likely to actively pursue it, according to new Florida State University research.
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