A lot of people struggling with being overweight or obese are clueless of the general condition of their health. Sometimes, some sufferers are even in a state of denial with regard to the need to shed some pounds in order to prevent getting serious illnesses like diabetes and heart problems. On the other side of the spectrum, many wafer-thin individuals are working their butts off to make sure that their bodies are fat free. Some individuals are struggling to lose weight even when there seems to be no fat to spare.

Although everybody needs to exercise and eat judiciously, not everyone should strive for weight loss. In fact, results of a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in April showed that individuals whose body mass index (BMI) is normal were at a much higher risk of death than those who had BMI between 25-30, which can be considered overweight.

This is not to say that people should strive to be overweight. The point of the study is that gaining a few extra pounds every five years is not something that you should worry about. Below are some guidelines to help you determine whether you need to lose weight or not.

Know Your Lifestyle

No matter what your weight is, if you have an active lifestyle and have good eating habits, you can afford not to focus too much on your weight. People who have big muscles sometimes have a body mass index of over 25, but they are really not at risk of developing heart problems and other weight-linked diseases especially if they exercise a lot and eat judiciously.

However, if your body mass index is over 30, which puts you in the category of obese, and you do not like breaking a sweat, then you should probably start talking with your doctor about your weight problem because sooner or later, your excess weight and lack of exercise might lead to the development of diabetes, cancer, thyroid problems and heart ailments.

Consider Your Family History

If you have a parent, cousin, grandparent or any relative that has a history of weight-related diseases, then you should be more careful about your weight. Sometimes these serious diseases are inherited so you need to know your family's medical history.

Be Aware How Your Weight Is Distributed

Aside from BMI, another measure of a person's predisposition to illnesses is how his or her body fat and weight are distributed. If most of your fat goes to your hips and bum, then you should not panic as long as you are not feeling any symptoms. However, men and women who have big bellies or abdomens, regardless of their weights, should be more careful with what they eat and do because they are more prone to developing a wide variety of serious diseases.

You should also consider the size of your waist. According to the National Institutes of Health, men whose waist circumference is above 40 inches and women who have 35-inch waistlines are more at risk of having heart ailments. This is especially true if you have a BMI of over 25.

Be Sensitive With How You Feel

More often than not, people know that they need to lose weight but they just shrug off the urgency. If you already feel shortness of breath and are experiencing joint woes, then it is important that you start considering how you could lose weight quickly. When you are having symptoms of diabetes, arthritis, heart problems and other weight-related diseases, you should consult your doctor on what you should do.

Losing weight is really very hard to do. However, it is something that you cannot give up on especially if you find yourself at high risk of getting heart and other diseases. One way to help you shed some pounds is by using all-natural weight loss supplements, such as Phenocal. To learn more on how this product can help you lose weight, visit