Healthcare is extremely important, as preventative medicine can protect you from many of the leading causes of death in the U.S., such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. Finding a physician that can guide you through the best way to stay healthy is your first step to avoiding these diseases. Not all cases of these illnesses are related to lifestyle and therefore preventable, but many are linked to obesity and certain lifestyle choices such as smoking and drinking alcohol.

Recent studies show that one in three Americans are considered obese, and the average American has gained 15-17 pounds since 1988. The definition of obesity has perhaps changed, because the medical profession is more aware of the ways in which being overweight increases your chances of developing dangerous heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Questions to ask a cardiologist about this include what your ideal weight is and how much exercise you should be getting to maintain that weight.

Heart disease, which is caused in part by obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise, is the main cause of death in the U.S. for men and women both, and it kills more people than all cancers and AIDS combined. So the leading cause of death is essentially preventable, or at least the risk can be drastically reduced by changes in lifestyle. Finding a physician to advise you on all the options, including bariatric surgery, can be crucial to a healthy future. For people who are extremely obese and their health is in danger, bariatric surgery can be a lifesaver. On average, after this type of surgery, cancer rates drop 60%, diabetes 90% and heart disease 50%. This shows the strong correlation between these disease and obesity.


The regularity and severity of heart disease cannot be overestimated, as approximately 80 million Americans suffer from some type of it, and as it is the leading cause of death. The importance of routine check ups and outpatient services is that doctors can remind people of the importance of lifestyle choices in preventing this very dangerous disease. Leading a healthy life with a moderate diet and plenty of exercise can also prevent diabetes, one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and also certain cancers that are linked to lifestyle choices. Smoking is a major cause of lung cancer but it also contributes to heart disease and other cardiovascular problems, as it damages the blood vessels around the heart. Finding a physician who will remind you of the various lifestyle choices and their effect on you could, in fact, save your life.