Obesity Is Our Biggest Health Threat
|
Here in the United States, over 55 percent of all adults are overweight. Nearly 25 percent are considered obese. Worldwide, weight problems are also prevalent with the United States ranking very high with other developed Nations. Each year there are approximately 280,000 deaths in the U.S. that are attributable to obesity. Causes of death due to the health ramifications of obesity include diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, breathing problems and even some forms of cancer. There is no longer any doubt that the most widespread and the largest threat to our health is being overweight or obese. As many as eighty million adult Americans alone deal with overweight or obesity every day of there lives. To add this concern, the number of overweight children and teenagers is rising at an alarming rate. |
|
Many feel that being overweight is just a health condition that is more of a nuisance than a potential health threat. The facts are that in addition to the psychological and emotional problems overweight and obesity incur, the potential for stress, heart disease, stroke and several types of cancers is significantly higher in those who carry too much excess weight. You cannot watch TV, read a magazine, or surf the Internet without seeing all the weight products, be they exercise machines, herbs or diet pills and products, flooding the advertisements. Those who have tried ordering a product off of TV advertisement are undoubtedly aware that the number of follow up mailings with offers is nothing less than shocking in amount and variety. |
Now, stop and take a moment to think about this. With all the products and machines readily available to people, why are we more threatened than ever with the weight dilemma? If these products do all they say they do, why aren't the above figures decreasing instead of rising at such an alarming rate? The answer is because there simply is no miracle cure, no quick fix, no product that will free you of excess weight while you sleep and no machine that will do it all for you. (See also: Buyer Beware)
To lose weight and then maintain weight for the long haul, you simply have got to accept the fact that you cannot overeat and have to work some form of exercise into your lifestyle. The bottom line is, you have to burn more calories than you consume to lose pounds. When we fail to do so, we store the excess calories as fat and thus, increase our risk of the ailments listed above.
Some uses of supplements and natural weight loss products do help some considerably, but again, there is no magic cure. Some key physical facts are that our bodies are largely made up of water and protein. Getting enough water and protein is important as well as watching the amount and quality of the fat you consume. Above all, be consistent.
In today's society, quick, fast and easy eating and preparing of food is the norm. We will eat just about anything as long as it is tasty, quick and easy to prepare and/or consume. We are also a disposable society, eating many pre-packaged foods and food from drive through fast-food restaurants. When it comes to dieting, our approach in today's world usually consists of the following train of thought: "How quickly can I lose x number of pounds before I can eat like I want to"? Our society is viewing weight loss as a short-term, temporary project rather than as a lifelong commitment to dietary changes and exercise habits. This mentality, and the all too common lifestyle of overeating and under-exercising, creates an environment with the potential to limit not only the length of a healthy life but the quality of life.
Don't wait another day -- take control of your destiny now!
