• Smoking
• High Blood Pressure (above 120/80)
• High Total Blood Cholesterol (above 200 mg/dl)
• Obesity (weighing 20% more than you should)
• Lack of physical activity
• Poorly controlled diabetes
• BMI of 30 or higher
• Heredity (evidence of heart disease in your family)
• Gender (men suffer heart attacks at a younger age than women)
• Increased age (older than 45)
• Body Type (weight carried below the waist is less of a risk factor than weight carried above the waist)

Determining your BMI
Body Mass Index = weight in pounds divided by height in inches
divided by height in inches multiplied by 703 (example:  a person
weighs 210 pounds and is 6 feet tall - 210 divided by 72 divided by
72 multiplied by 703 = a BMI of 28.5

Underweight = BMI less than 18.5
Overweight = BMI of 25 to 29.9
Obese = BMI of 30 or more

What Can You Do To Reduce Your Risk?

1.  Use the Food Guide Pyramid to make wise food choices
http://www.fatcalories.com
http://aicr.org

2.  Engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
http://www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com

3.  Reduce your sodium intake.
http://www.romwell.com/books/health/Salt.htm

4.  Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
http://www.5aday.com

5.  Learn to read and understand food labels.
 
 

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