Obesity: A problem Increasing By The pound

Copyright (c) 2007 Aiyana Rayne
Successful Office
http://www.SuccessfulOffice.com

No one should be surprised by the large percentage of Americans
over weight these days. With faster than ever growing food chains
and the way our money and appetites respond to walking past
endless, mouthwatering posters in restaurant windows, there's no
wonder why diet has become the talk of the century. As many have
learned, accomplishing "weight loss" as not nearly as easy as
it is to say it.

The facts are that 7.1% of children and adolescents 2-19 years of
age are overweight. That is over 12 and a half million children.
Of the adult population, 32.2% which is over 66 million are
obese; and almost 5% are extremely obese. Significant differences
in obesity between race and ethnic groups have also been
observed. Mexican-American and Afro-American girls were found to
be more overweight than non-Hispanic white girls. Where boys are
concerned, the prevalence of overweight was considerably higher
among Mexican-Americans than among both non-Hispanic black and
Non-Hispanic white boys. Approximately 30% of non-Hispanic white
adults, 45% of non-Hispanic Afro-American adults, and 36.8% of
Mexican-American adults were found to be obese.

A significant difference in age seemed to play a huge part as
well. Younger children are less likely to be overweight than
adolescents, and older adults are more likely to be obese than
younger adults. The weights of adults 80 and over tend to fall
into the same category of adults 20-39 years of age.

Overweight issues are the result of an imbalance between the
amount of food consumed and the amount of physical activity a
person gets. Factors that are considered linked to obesity
include increased potion sizes, eating out often, large
consumptions of sugar-sweetened drinks, excessive television,
computer and video gaming, a change in careers, stress, and fear
of crime; which lessens outdoor activity. Overweight adolescents
usually grow up to become obese adults. People gain weight when
the body takes in more calories than it burns off. The extra
calories are stored as fat. People who are obese are more than
just a few pounds overweight, which means that their calorie
intake has been more than I should have been for years.

A person's gene can play an important role in being obese, for
example, some people burn calories faster or slower than others.
It is odd how obesity works in families; members of a family can
eat the same foods, share the same bad habits and have a similar
mind frame when it comes to weight gain; however, only a few may
have weight problems. In most cases, weight problems come from a
combination of habits and genetic factors. Obesity can seriously
affect a person's health in more ways than a little bit. Of
course it can make a person feel tired and uncomfortable, as well
as wear down joints and put extra strain on other parts of the
body; but there are more serious consequences that come from
carrying extra weight.

Obesity in young children can cause illnesses that usually affect
the adult population, such as high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, liver disease, and type2 diabetes. As they get
older, they are subjected to even more problems such as the heart
disease, congestive heart failure, bladder problems, strokes,
breast or colon cancer, reproductive problems in women, and even
death.

In addition to these things, small tasks such as walking, keeping
up, playing sports, and even breathing can become extremely
difficult. Depression is also very likely among people who are
over weight. They may often feel sad or angry and many people eat
to make themselves feel better, only to feel worse about eating
again.

There is some good news, however; it is never too late for a
person to make changes in their eating and exercising habits.
Powerful health benefits can come from exercising as little as 30
minutes a day, everyday and paying close attention to what we put
into our bodies. Staying away from sugary soft drinks such as
sodas, and juice, and eating more fruits and vegetables can help
significantly. Also, keeping a food diary and developing a better
understanding of the nutritional value and fat contents of food,
changing grocery shopping habits, timing meals, running, and
walking is proven to do wonders for the body. Pills, and programs
that promise instant weight loss or feature severely restricted
diets are usually not effective and can be very dangerous.

A recent study has found that a key ingredient in over the
counter diet pills can increase the risk of stroke in women. Diet
pills are not a permanent solution to losing weight; in fact,
studies prove that almost all consumers regain that were shed.
Many people are initially discouraged during weight loss,
especially if they have put on excessive weight during the years;
but the sooner the change is started, the closer a person will
get to living a happier, healthier life.

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