Some Startling Facts About Obesity

What is obesity?There is a difference between being overweight and being obese. People who are overweight may be heavier than the average person for their height due to an overabundance of muscle, particularly dense bone structure, water weight, and also fat. People who are obese, on the other hand, are simply carrying an excessive amount of fatty tissue. About a third of US citizens are overweight, and about a third are obese.
The body structure of an obese man consists of twenty-five percent fatty tissue. That of an obese woman consists of thirty percent fatty tissue. The percentage of fatty tissue per body weight is determined by a formula known as the Body Mass Index or BMI. This formula determines the ratio of fatty tissue to muscular, bone and other tissue in the total makeup of the body but other factors such as gender must also be considered.

Why is obesity a problem?
Obesity is far more than simply an aesthetic problem. Severe and morbid obesity presents serious health problems that have become epidemic in proportions in many parts of the world. In fact, complications arising from obesity cause more deaths annually in the US than any other single factor other than the use of tobacco products. People who suffer from severe and morbid obesity can expect:
* A higher tendency to develop osteoarthritis in the hips, knees, ankles and feet,
* A higher risk of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes,
* Depression and a variety of other psychological disorders,
* A higher risk of developing some kinds of cancers,
* Sterility and reproductive disorders,
* Sleep disorders and sleep apnea,
* High blood pressure,
* Heart disease,
* Gall Stones,
* And more.
Obesity causes significant stress to the individuals who experience it, their families, and the society in which we live. Treating the constellation of health problems that usually develop from being obese is costly and challenging. The National Institute of Health reports that 300,000 people die annually due to obesity related illness. For these reasons, effective methods of treatment and prevention must be found.

What causes obesity?
Obesity is caused by a combination of factors. Heredity comes into play, as well as other conditions such as thyroid disorders. Some kinds of medications can cause a person to gain weight significantly. However, more than anything else, obesity is caused by the combination of an inactive lifestyle and a poor, high calorie, highly processed diet.

What can be done about obesity?
Although there are medical procedures that can be used to treat obesity (e.g. Roux-en-Y gastric by-pass and Lap Band surgery) it is highly advisable that all natural courses of treatment be pursued before surgical intervention is explored. People who are obese should be encouraged by their physicians and family to seek gradual exercise and gradual changes in nutritional habits. Psychological, behavioral and/or pharmaceutical intervention may be advised.
Weight loss for people who are severely or morbidly obese may take a very long time since the person did not gain the weight overnight; however, by committing to making consistent changes in lifestyle and diet, a lasting transformation may be obtained.
Dr. Gladys Alvarez has done what thousands of interested people were hoping for; the legwork concerning weight loss and health issues. With many years experience in the medical field and through extensive research, she has eliminated all the hype out of the Losing Weight programs that are in the market today, presenting you with only the very best. With many years experience as a Correspondent who has traveled worldwide, and experienced first hand the different styles of nutrition in diverse countries. Gladys encourages you to visit her

website at http://www.bestweightlossplanss.com/ TODAY!
Copyright (c) http://www.gladysalvarez.com/ All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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The Truth About Fast Food and Obesity

OK. So, you have heard rumors before about how the hamburgers in fast food restaurants are made, but have you ever taken the time to really research the subject? Well, I have done it for you and allow me to tell you, I have not had a fast food hamburger in eons, nor have I fed them to my family.In today's "time crunch" society, one out of every four Americans eats at a fast food place. We reward our children by taking them to eat at a fast food place so they can get their "free" toy; but did you also know that approximately in the past 30 years the percentage of obese people has doubled?
We forget for some reason, that our children's arteries can suffer the same damage as ours, we seem to think that because they are young they are immune to health issues. I have seen children who basically live off fried foods have an extremely high cholesterol lab result, always supported by their parents.
One of American's great staple, besides the hot dog, is the hamburger! The fast food places advertise being cheap and with the serious economic condition of the great majority of the population, that is the place to go; but, studies have shown that low income families that frequent fast food places are more likely to turn obese, this is due to the high fat, high sodium, high sugar contents that those hamburgers are carrying.
Are you also aware that those hamburgers are made up of byproducts or do you think that the hooves, ears, heads and whatnot's of the cattle are disposed of? Think again.
Now, regarding those patties, although they come from cattle, the meat from those cattle may originate in foreign countries in South American and travel their way up gathering a mixture of meats from different countries until it reaches the US. It's no wonder that sometimes those patties will be contaminated with e-coli or salmonella.
We know for a fact that people who become vegetarians have a lower mortality rate than those who are eating highly saturated fats, animal protein, high sodium content and processed meats.
If we learn to eat properly, we can get the nutrients our bodies need from fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts. Studies keep showing us that it is not about "dieting" it is not about a fad; it is about changing our lifestyle so we can live longer, healthier and happier life's.
Dr. Gladys Alvarez has done what millions of interested people were hoping for; the legwork concerning weight loss and health issues. With 45 years experience in the health, fitness and weight loss fields; and through extensive research, she has finally eliminated all the hype out of the losing weight plans that are in the online weight loss programs, presenting you with only the very best. As a correspondent who has traveled world wide and experienced first hand the different styles of nutrition in diverse countries. For more information on health issues and weight loss, please visit her website at http://www.problemslosingweight.com/ TODAY!

Copyright (c) http://www.gladysalvarez.com/ All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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Obesity In America - How Did We Get Here And What Can Be Done About It?

Oddly enough, several weeks ago, weight loss and health issues were not much of a concern to me. Granted, I was aware that I had put on some extra pounds over the years, but not to the point of being overly concerned. I had been to my family doctor earlier this year, and happily enough, she had told me that I was in "great shape". Needless to say, it left me feeling pretty good about my current physical condition, and rather complacent to trying to improve my health.That being said, we as Americans are in some of the worse shape of any people on this planet. Statistically, 1 in 3 people in America are obese, that is over 33% of us, and that isn't including those who are just over weight. This is not only an adult issue either, this is affecting our children as well. In the history of our existence, we are the heaviest we have ever been.
You have to ask yourself, "how has this happened"? Seriously, we were once, one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries on this planet. You would think, we would have used this wealth and power to educate and intervene long before this epidemic ever even started.
Why is being over weight such a problem, you ask? Before we go into the internal physical health issues, lets take a look at the basic external issues. First of all, it is very unattractive, for the most part, the heavier one gets, the less attractive they become, and not just to others, but to themselves as well. This can certainly lead to a life of loneliness and isolation, which can have a major effect on mental health. It is all connected, so physical health issues are soon to follow.
Physical health issues are not limited to, but can include, heart disease, pulmonary issues, diabetes, and skin disorders, just to mention a few. These issues are no laughing matter, one or more of them, if not handled properly and more importantly reversed, can lead to untimely and premature deaths. Obviously this will have a huge impact on the individual who is directly going through this, but it also has serious effects on their family and friends.
More often than not, the basic cause for this growing epidemic boils simply enough down to choices. Every day, we all make the choice of what we are going to put into our bodies, via our mouth. Unfortunately, fast food has become the most common choice for a large number of Americans. Not only are you getting far to many calories from this bad decision food, but then you are washing it down with gallons of soda, (sugar, sugar, sugar). As if this isn't bad enough three times a day, then there are multiple sodas consumed though out the day, jet adding more unnecessary calories that you body just can't process and burn off in a fast enough manner.
For those who do not eat "drive in" fast food daily, they are still eating fast food at home, such as "tv dinners" and processed and refined items. The old "heat em up, eat em ups" found in the frozen section of the local grocery store. If you pay attention, some are better than others, but for the most part, you may as well go to the "drive through" because you are basically putting the same junk in your body as you would be getting, had you just gone to the "drive through". The end result is more and more fat building up, and unless something is done to change this cycle, it will more than likely not end until that person is dead.
The bottom line is, if you want to take your health back, get off all of the lousy prescriptions drugs, you need to start treating your body like the temple it should be. The only way to do this is to cut out all the processed and refined foods. Go to an all natural diet, fresh fruits and vegetables are by far the best disease fighters. Nuts and berries are also great food choices in fighting obesity and disease. Getting a little more exercise isn't a bad choice either.
It comes down to choices, and you can choose to stay on the path you are on and continue to be unhappy with your weight and run the risk of serious illness, or you can chose to change it all right now, this very day. I did a food experiment, and at first I really didn't have any particular goal, but as I started to drop pounds, I decided my goal would be to lose 20 pounds. I wanted to do this without exercising, just changing my diet. The reason for not exercising was I wanted to prove it could be done this way, because a large number of Americans are far to lazy to exercise, mostly because they are over weight and it is far to much effort for them. By doing it the way I did it, I'm hoping it will motivate at least one over weight person to at least give it a shot, even if just for a few weeks. If you don't see results, then by all means, go back to your own ways, and let fate play out as it should.
It took me 5 weeks and 4 days to achieve my goal. I eliminated all meat from my diet, cut way back on my dairy products and ate mostly fruits and vegetables, and for the most part ate them raw. I found the best way to eat raw vegetables was by juicing them, so I bought a juicer. I even went to the point of doing a 10 day juice fast in order to detox my body from all the garbage that had built up over the past 40 plus years. Be eliminating meat, refined sugars and processed foods, my grocery bill also went down as my weight was dropping too. In short, I was double dipping on the positive side of things.
Why not give this a try yourself? What do you have to lose, besides a lot of weight, prescriptions drugs and a very negative outlook on your life? All the medicine you need is growing in a garden in someones backyard, why not make that your backyard?
If you have any desire to learn any more about this amazing journey I went on, you can read all about my food experiment, how I got started on it and see the see the charted results. Click here to learn more.

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