More Than 50% Of Americans Have Been Obese At Some Point In Their Lives

Now, to add fuel to the fire, a study from Boston University School of Public Health sheds a new light on just how long Americans have been struggling with their waistlines. After analyzing national BMI data from 1988 to 2014, researchers found that 51 percent of American men and 52 percent of American women have battled obesity in their lifetimes.

“The results suggest that a much larger fraction of the population is affected by obesity than is reflected by statistics on current weight status alone,” the researchers wrote.

Chances are, you already know that’s a problem. Obesity has been tied to heart disease, poor mental health, chronic pain, and several different cancers, according to the CDC.

These issues aren’t entirely downplayed, so you may actively try to improve your health and lose the excess weight—but that may not completely eliminate your risk for certain health risks tied to obesity, like heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and liver disease, the researchers found.

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That means if you have struggled with obesity in the past—even if you’re at a healthy weight now—you’re still at a greater risk for those health issues than people who have never been obese at all.

That may affect more people than you think. By 2013 to 2014, 22 percent of people who weren’t obese had been at some point, the study found.

That’s because the precursors of many weight-related diseases—like chronic inflammation and metabolic stress—may be cumulative, meaning they could continue to impact your body long after you’ve lost the weight, the researchers say.

Granted, that doesn’t mean you should completely give up on shedding pounds. Past research has found that dropping just five percent of your body weight will improve several risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease.

Think of it this way: The findings are similar to studies conducted on former smokers, the study authors explain. Even if you’ve put the cigs out for good, the damage smoking has done to your body in the past doesn’t magically go away—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t quit smoking. (Here’s why being obese can be even deadlier than smoking.)

Your best bet is preventing the number on your scale from rising in the first place. If your diet is loaded with processed and fast food, like donuts, white bread, pizza, burgers, and endless dessert, that can contribute to weight gain quickly. (Check out the real reason Americans are so fat.)

Plus, nearly half of Americans don’t meat the CDC’s recommended physical activity guidelines, so start by breaking a sweat. Aim for at least 2.5 hours of moderately intense exercise a week, which also translates to 1 hour and 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise. (Want to shed fat fast? Check out Metashred Extreme from Men’s Health, a series of high-intensity metabolic workouts that will help you build muscle as you lose weight.)

And if you’ve struggled with obesity ever, make sure you check in with your doc, even if you’re at healthy weight now. He or she will be able to monitor certain risk factors, like your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, to make sure your body is running smoothly for years to come.