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Obesity–The Bulging Epidemic

The International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), whose goal is to improve global health by promoting the understanding of obesity and weight-related diseases through research,” says obesity, recognized some 60 years ago as a disease, is more prevalent in the world today than ”under-nutrition.” and this epidemic is threatening health services around the world, even the United States. In the United States alone, data from 2007-2008 indicate that about 33 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women are obese.

What are the causes of this bulging epidemic? One cause may be eating too quickly. When a person eats too quickly hormones that check one’s appetite are not released causing the person to overeat. Eating slowly releases these ”gut hormones,” telling the person that he or she is full. Therefore, the person doesn’t eat as much.

Another cause is calorie intake. When a person takes in more calories than he or she expends then the excess calories are stored as fat. Today people are looking for a quick-energy-fix and are consuming more energy-rich foods with high sugar and fat content. Coupled with a sedentary lifestyle where a lot of time is spent sitting at the computer or watching television you have a recipe for excessive weight gain.

Children are not excluded from this epidemic. The Trust for America’s Health says childhood obesity is on the rise sharply as 30 states report 30 per cent of children match the criteria for obesity. Because of this excessive weight gain, children are experiencing diseases once considered rare such as type-2 diabetes.

Obesity is the third leading cause of deaths in America next to cancer and heart disease. In 2007, the United States Surgeon General reported 300,000 deaths attributed to obesity. Also, a person with a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 30 has a more significant chance of contracting a slew of health ailments , such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, arthritis, and more.

The best way to see if you fall into the obese range is to check your BMI with a BMI calculator which can easily be found online. A BMI measurement is based on your height and weight.
BMI 18.5 – 24.9 = Normal
BMI 25 – 29.9 =Overweight
BMI 30 – 39.9 = Obese
BMI 40+ – Morbid Obesity

For 72 million of us in the United States, a change in lifestyle may be in order. The best way to fight obesity is to adopt a more active lifestyle and eat properly. Easier said than done, huh. We didn’t gain the weight overnight, though it may have seemed so, and we’re not going to lose it overnight. So the best policy might be to start out slow and work our way up. Taking a walk, taking the stairs, cutting back on sugar-laden soft drinks, and eating more nutritious foods might go a long way to rolling back the fat. Now, get out of that chair.