Majority of people are obese, so you should stop thinking that you are the only one who is obese. As early as 1999 in United States, research shows that sixty one percent of adults are obese and 13 percent of the adolescents and children population are obese. Obesity has become a main concern in different countries including countries where obesity is least expected such as China.
Being obese is not really alarming, what is alarming is how your weight affects your health and your total well-being. It is always been a challenge fighting obesity.
How to measure obesity
When the mass index of your body is 30 or more than then you are on the bracket of being obese. For example: If you are 142 pounds and have a height of 5’2’’ then your MI (mass index) is 26. In this example, you are considered obese. This means that your health could be compromised. It is a simple comparison of height and weight. It applies to both women and men.
An Old Condition
If you think obesity is a new issue it is not. In fact, anthropologists say that this concern has been around over 20,000 years old. When there were rich food supplies it eradicated the danger of starvation and obesity existed in some parts of the society. The medical community is worried of this issue because it has already become a major health crisis in this country.
Why People are Obese?
The issue on obesity raises a lot of questions. While the issue on obesity continues to grow, there are no exact answers to why people are obese; however, below are some reasons that could cause obesity:
- Sedentary Lifestyle
- Excessive intake of food
- Changes in metabolism that triggers an increased level of lipoprotein lipase, than the normal level or a damaged response to the impulses of the nerves that directs the cells to break it into their fat stores.
- Genetic Predisposition
- Psychological problems
- An environment with abundance of food
- A breakdown of “brown fat.” These type of fats burn calories. Extra calories are expended as heat by an individual that has normal weight when they burn while for the overweight individuals may not. This idea is uncertain.
- Increased “Set Point”. The set point determines a specific natural weight for every individual. This can be decreased through exercises and a proper diet.
The Dangers of being Overweight
Most people on this country concentrate on the beauty and “esthetical” facets of “fatness.” But they tend to lose focus on the dangers of being obese. When people are overweight they should focus on losing weight.
Can you be Fat and Fit?
Overweight and obesity conditions are related with a higher level of health risks and even early death; this is according to the U.S. Surgeon’s Report on Overweight and Obesity. A person’s health risk is increased in early Type II diabetes even the person will only gain 11 to 18 pounds. Even though an obese person is healthy or does not have any serious health concerns that evidence shows that gaining of weight is a major health risk:
It is considered a health threat factor as long as you are in any level of obesity, but a body weight that gains 20 percent more than the desirable weight is definitely a candidate of serious health problems.
- Reduced life span is related to obesity
- High blood cholesterol and high blood pressure are also major risk factors that are related to obesity.
- A higher threat of coronary heart ailment in both men and women is associated to a weight gain of 10 to 20 pounds.
- In overweight individuals the occurrence of diabetes is almost 3 times higher than in normal weight individuals.
- Cancer of the breast, the colon , the uterus, the prostate and the rectum can be a result of being overweight
- Stress is increased on the body joints when you are obese
- Increases the danger of surgery
The Lighter Side
All of the dangers mentioned previously can be eliminated or avoided by reducing weight which experts agree on. As an example, a 10 percent loss of weight can result to 20 percent decrease on the risk of heart disease. This is according to some scientist. The major benefits occurs when an individual losses the first 10 to 20 pounds because it can be very difficult for a person to retain a huge weight loss. This should boost the confidence of every individual who thinks that it is not good enough. In improving energy levels and gaining better health, you do not have to shed every added pound.
Taking Action
You need to look for a weight loss program that fits you, this is the decision you have to make when you are ready to shed those extra pounds. Remember, not all weight loss programs can apply to every individual. There are some suggested strategies in evaluating weight loss programs and diets:
- If you are overweight, a fair initial weight to loss is round 10 percent of your existing body weight.
- The expected time to lose 10 percent of your body weight is around six months.
- Around ½ to 2 pounds is a reasonable weekly target for weight lost.
