Pennsylvanians love fat-laden food like funnel cakes, cheese steaks, shoo-fly pies.

Combine that with less active lifestyles and you can see why nearly 25 percent of our state’s population is obese and why the rate of obesity has nearly doubled since 1991.

Being considerably overweight is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, heart failure, and sudden death because of the impact on the cardiovascular system. And because damage to the heart arteries begins in childhood, it even poses an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in overweight children.

"Only smoking causes more preventable deaths. And, if the current trend continues, obesity soon will be number one," cautions Crozer-Chester Medical Center bariatric (obesity) specialist and Pennsylvania Medical Society member Christopher Hannum, MD.

If left untreated, obesity can lead to serious and extensive health problems ranging from respiratory ailments, sleep apnea, and acid reflux  to high blood pressure, diabetes, higher risk for certain cancers, and of course, heart disease.

So, if you or someone you love might be considered obese, talk with your doctor about how to lose weight and regain a healthier life.