Obesity Is Epidemic

Obesity is becoming an epidemic and is a huge problem in the United States today. It is caused from the accumulation of excess body fat. It is destructive to our health and has proven to decrease our life expectancy. It is related to many different health conditions. To determine obesity, body mass index is the standard measurement that is used today. It compares a person's height and weight to help determine if a person is over or under weight.Obesity is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancer. It is understood that the main cause for obesity is eating excess quantities of food and not getting enough exercise. There is little support to the belief that certain people gain weight while eating little because of a slow metabolism.
To effectively combat obesity, it is important to eat a healthy diet while limiting the amount of calories you consume. You should avoid foods that are high in fat or sugars. Simple carbohydrates should also be avoided when possible as these are easily converted into fat in the body.
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will help give your body more fiber which is effective in preventing obesity. Fiber helps you to feel full and helps to prevent food from being turned into fat in the body. Whole grains are also a good source of fiber. Obesity is becoming epidemic and has been increasing in adults and children over the past several years.
BMI, or body mass index, has proven to be an effective way in measuring obesity. It is measured by dividing the mass of a person by the square of their height. The US or imperial method for defining a person's BMI is calculated by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703 and then dividing it by your height in inches squared. Definitions of BMI were developed by the World Health Organization in 1997. If you score higher than 30, you are considered obese. If you score higher than 35, you are considered to be severely obese.
Major studies have determined that obesity is associated with a decrease in life expectancy. Obesity is attributed mostly due to a sedentary lifestyle and consuming too many calories. Research has demonstrated that most of these calories come from eating too many carbohydrates rather than fats. It has been determined that these extra calories often come from sweetened beverages and potato chips.
- Nathan Leavitt DC
Dr. Leavitt has been a licensed chiropractic physician since 2003. He currently resides in Knoxville, TN His deepest commitment is to help improve the health and quality of life of others. To learn more effective ways to improve your health naturally go here: knoxville chiropractors
You can also see patient reviews and see where Dr. Leavitt's clinic is located by clicking here: knoxville chiropractors

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Overcome Obesity - An Epidemic Explained

Obesity is a risk factor for so many serious health problems that it has been declared a chronic disease in its own right. In the United States, more than 75% percent of obese people suffer at least one other major health problem, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, some cancers, respiratory problems, or other difficulties. But despite this toll, the ranks of the dangerously overweight have gone up by 50 percent in the past 20 years.Experts say that there's more obesity partly because most people exercise infrequently, and labor-saving devices and entertainment such as computers and television have helped make us increasingly sedentary. We're also eating more packaged, processed, and fast foods that are high in fat and calories. One sign of this is a trend toward "colossal cuisine," with portion sizes for many foods, notably hamburgers and sodas, often double or more what was typical two decades ago. Ironically, some studies suggest that Americans are including less fat in their diets. Some experts say that this is small consolation because we're eating much more of everything, so the absolute amount of fat consumed is still going up.
Obesity is a complex disorder with a combination of causes. One theory suggests that your body determines and works to maintain a set point for weight that makes any effort to lose and maintain weight difficult. Thus, while obesity in Americans is caused largely by what and how we eat, it is also governed to some degree by genetics, by an intricate system of chemical signals that tell the body when it's hungry and when it's not, and by social or psychological factors.
Some people assume that obesity is all due to genetics and other uncontrollable factors. Genetics plays a role, but there's a great deal you can do to work toward a healthier weight. In fact, experts say that the pounds you lose first have the greatest impact on improving overall health. It's wise to start by taking small steps and building on success with these strategies:
Balance Calories--Crash diets make the body think it's starving, so it actually conserves calories. You must eat, but what? Experts say it's important to get a healthy balance of foods: The bulk of your daily calories (about 60 percent) should come from complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat pasta, potatoes, and brown rice. Fat should account for no more than 30 percent of the diet.
Control Portions--How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. As a rule, aim for small portions of many different foods; studies find that variety will help make you feel satisfied more quickly, especially if you're eating healthy vegetables. Note that the USDA Food Guide Pyramid's suggestions for serving sizes in a healthy, balanced diet tend to be quite small: a single slice of bread, for example, or 1/2 cup of raw or cooked vegetables. Keep in mind that contrary to what you may have been told as a child, you really don't have to eat everything on your plate.
Dine Out Wisely--When eating out, order an appetizer as your entree: Often, appetizer fare is portioned large enough to make a decent meal. If you do order off the main menu, share dishes to avoid eating more than half. Order dishes that combine ingredients such as cut-up meat with a variety of vegetables, and resist the temptation to order lots of different dishes--too much sampling may lead to overeating. Be sure to ask for a pitcher of water on the table: Studies have found that the "I'm thirsty" signal that the brain sends out is often mistaken for "I'm hungry."
Graze--Eating several small meals or snacks throughout the day instead of "three square" can help you keep hunger at bay. At work, home, or when traveling, keep portions of baby carrots, berries, raisins, graham or animal crackers, and other healthful treats within easy reach.
Respectfully submitted by Idaline Hall. For more useful insider weight loss tips you might find informative, visit: http://weightlossthatfits.com/

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Tackling the Obesity Epidemic: Leading by Example

Human beings are group animals and very easily influenced by the example set by those around them, especially when they're movers and shakers and figures of authority. In the playground children join in games of follow-my-leader. In real life they follow the same behavioural pattern, unconsciously copying the example set by their parents and teachers. American surveys show that the biggest obesity risk children face is to have an obese parent. Parents are exemplars, and if they take steps to lose their excess flab their children are highly likely to follow suit. This was clearly demonstrated by researchers at Stanford School of Medicine, California, who found that when overweight parents lose weight by undergoing gastric bypass operations, their children were twice as likely to try to achieve the same end result by eating more sensibly, taking additional exercise and watching less television. Even the books children read can have a beneficial effect. This was shown when a large group of obese girls aged 9-13 years was enrolled in a healthy lifestyle programme. Half were given a novel about a roly-poly lass who took steps to improve her general health and physical fitness. The remainder received either an everyday novel or no book at all. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the girls who'd been given the good example showed a significantly greater reduction in their weight.Today obesity is commonplace, which means it's becoming the 'norm' rather than an unusual aberration. Nowadays we more likely stand out from the crowd if we're fit than when we're fat. A recent Canadian study of well over three thousand children showed that those who see people in their environment who are overweight or obese tend to 'develop inaccurate perceptions of what constitutes appropriate weight status.'
Surveys show that kids with an obese brother or sister have a 37 per cent increased risk of following their example and putting on excess weight. We can't choose our kith and kin, but we should take great care when selecting our friends, for they too have an significant impact on our behaviour. Researchers at the University of Canada have discovered that subjects have a 57 per cent increased risk of becoming obese if one of more of their close friends is corpulent. Media celebrities have a similar impact, and can benefit their loyal fans by demonstrating that it is infinitely better to maintain a healthy weight rather than be pudgy or skeletally thin. Julie Wooldridge, a young Essex woman, was in many ways a mirror image of Princess Diana. People in the street would do a double-take when they saw her face, then realize that she wasn't their idol when they looked down at her 14 stone body. 'Every photo of HRH was like looking in a mirror at the figure I could become', she told reporters. Given this incentive she lost 63 pounds, dropped four dress sizes and won an international slimming competition.
The UK government has been using advertising and restrictive legislation to tackle the obesity plague, but it would be far more effective if politicians led by example. We're influenced less by their messages, than by the behaviour of the messengers. For instance, Nigel Lawson, when Chancellor of the Exchequer, set the British people a splendid example when he modified his life style, ate less meat and stepped up his intake of fruit and vegetables. On this regime he lost five stone in twelve months, a loss he has maintained ever since. The same applies to Mick Cornett, the Mayor of Oklahoma City, who set his people a splendid example when he shed 40 pounds and set up a website - http://www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com - to show them how it could be done. Since then, forty thousand Oklahomans have joined the campaign and shed a total of more than half a million pounds.
It's easy for politicians to put on weight, because they lead lives which are stressful but largely sedentary. This is why there was for many years a custom in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire for mayors to be weighed before and after they took up office. This was to show they hadn't grown fat at the public expense. It's unlikely that mayors and cabinet ministers today would submit themselves to such a test, but there must surely be some who would follow Mayor Cornett's example, and lead by example rather than by exhortation. That would enhance the nation's health, decrease the financial burden on the NHS, and boost the UK economy, for studies show that roly-poly employees have twelve times the levels of sickness absenteeism as their slimmer, fitter counterparts. Are there any volunteers among our elected leaders who will play this role?
© http://www.donaldnorfolk.co.uk

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