Obesity: Statistics, Causes, and Solutions

Obesity in the United States is a big problem and has been cited as a major health issue in the country in recent years. While other countries have the same experience, the obesity rate in the US is alarming. In the year 1962, the obesity rate was at 13% but by 2010, it has been reported that 35.7% of American adults are obese while the rate for obese American children is 17%. These rates have already been confirmed by both the Journal of the American Medical Association or JAMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

USA Today reported last May that by 2030, 42% of Americans will be obese. Health economist Eric Finkelstein was quoted saying, “The obesity problem is likely to get much worse without a major public health intervention.”

What is obesity?

Referred to by the World Health Organization as a medical condition, obesity involves accumulated body fat that do not only contribute to an increase in one’s weight but also involves adverse effects on health caused by excess body fat. A person is considered obese when his or her BMI or body mass index exceeds 30 kilograms per meter squared.

According to experts, obesity increases the susceptibility of a person to various diseases specifically diabetes and heart ailments. It also increases the likelihood of getting cancer, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. But what causes obesity? Although excessive food intake is the main culprit when it comes to obesity, one’s genes can also be blamed for having this medical condition. However, it is not very often that it is one’s genes are to blame. Bad eating habits and lack of exercise are usually the main reasons why people put on too much weight. There are many ways to lose weight but because dieting and physical exercise are not really things many people are fond of doing, alternative weight loss regimens or procedures are quite popular. Liposuction for one is one of the most popular ways of getting rid of unwanted fat but one has to keep in mind that the fat removed can come back if you do not take care of yourself.

Obesity and Your Confidence

Obesity is not just hazardous to your physical health, it also has an effect on one’s mental health. This of course is not as pronounced as clinical depression but it can go there. Losing one’s self-confidence because of weight gain is a hard nut to crack and the only way to get this confidence back is to lose that extra weight. Many people resort to using slimming pills or going under the knife but these are not really advisable for the long term because you should not only focus on how good your body should look but also on how your health is affected by such weight loss programs.

Why Help Is Needed

Trying to lose weight is a difficult task especially if you are doing it on your own. While some people have enough self-discipline to exercise on a daily basis and eat right day in and day out, some people don’t. This is where a coach or a trainer comes in. Going under a diet program in your local clinic or under a nutritionist is a good idea. This should be done with daily exercise. Fifteen minutes on the treadmill for example will do you good especially if you’re just starting out. Later on, you can increase the amount of time you spend for exercise. Walking is another way to lose weight and it is something you can do with ease.

Weight Loss Roller Coaster

Have you ever been on the weight loss roller coaster? You try so hard to lose a few pounds only to put them right back on and in some cases 1 or 2 extra pounds as well as those you worked so hard to lose in the first place.

Well you are NOT alone! It is not uncommon to lose and regain the same 10 or 15 pounds over and over again. If this sounds familiar to you there is help and you don't have to go through it alone. You shouldn't go through it alone! Often times we do more harm than good when dieting. We deprive ourselves of what we need and can mess up our metabolism in the process of trying to fit into those cute pants.

In Frisco, medically supervised weight loss is becoming more popular for those determined to take the weight off and keep it off. It is no wonder why. We are living in a time where information is readily available, at our finger tips, and the information out there all points to the same thing, seek the advice of a professional you can trust to help you take that weight off and keep it off!

Good Habits

Exercising can be a daunting task looming over your head. Once you get passed the "chore" part of it you will find that you look forward to your exercise routine. You will notice the energy it gives you and feel the lack of that energy when you have skipped a routine. But how do you get to that point? To where you are exercising and not cringing at the thought of having to get it off your plate for the day?

One theory is to make it a habit. Don't start off with the intention of hitting the elliptical trainer for an hour everyday. No, start off slow and build a habit before you increasing your routine. Make it a point to get on the elliptical (or whatever your exercise of choice is) for something nominal, like 10 minutes, every day. No matter, what just get through that small amount every day for 30 straight days and it will become a habit for you.

Then along the way add more good habits, like parking further away when shopping or at work. Force yourself to walk just a little bit more each day instead of just a little less. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, yes we have heard this before, but it really helps. You add a few more steps instead of taking them away.

If you do this, start implementing small good habits, you are taking steps in the right direction instead just standing still or worse, sliding into more and more bad habits.

Wheat, The Friendly Enemy

With all I have been reading about wheat, gluten and it's high glycemic index we recently decided to give up wheat all together and see if it made an improvement in out health. Well let me tell you if definitely made a difference! My husband suffers from stomach issues such as IBS and chronic heartburn. Since giving up the wheat his stomach issues have calmed down and he hasn't had the need for antacids either. IN the first month he lost 15 pounds without working out and he has been consuming King sized Snicker bars! 

Studies indicate that Wheat and gluten rank up there next to sugar in how our body processes it, but after this last month I would say it is worse than sugar. My husband consumed chocolate and candy and didn't have the heartburn issues that he used to have with those foods. That tells me the wheat was a huge factor and that the wheat had a large impact on our health. 

To further strengthen my belief that wheat needs to stay gone from our diets, we have 3 boys, ranging from 15 to 22, and their complexions have cleared up significantly since I have taken the wheat away. You can really see it in our 15 year old. 

It wasn't easy giving up the wheat. But now that it is completely gone I can't imagine going back to it. In the beginning I watched our carbs a bunch to make sure we were getting enough. Carbohydrates are super important for energy levels, without them we could get lethargic and dizzy so I made sure that we had other sources of carbs in our diet. 

If you have jumped on the gluten free band wagon, let us know about it and how it has affected you.