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Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States and medical experts are becoming increasingly concerned that the trend will not stop or reverse itself anytime soon. Recently obesity statistics state that nearly 1 in every 3 Americans is now considered obese while almost 2/3 of Americans are considered overweight.
Currently, doctors consider an overweight person to have a BMI, or body mass index, of 25 or high while those considered obese have a BMI of 30 or higher. BMI is measured by taking into consideration your height and weight proportions and someone that is obese is said to have an extremely high level portion of fat on the body. |
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Fighting Obesity: A Growing Epidemic
The concern over dieting and gaining weight for many is cosmetic, but physicians are only concerned with the dangerous health risks of being obese. These risks include high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder disease, heart disease, cancer, stroke and even sleep apnea. There are a variety of different reasons all of these health problems are increasingly risky as you put on weight, but the bottom line is that they continue to put added stress and pressure on the body.
Doctors are increasingly concerned about those individuals that carry weight in their abdominal region. New research suggests that abdominal fat can significantly increase your risks of many of the previously mentioned health problems. This is especially true because of the added restriction it places on the organs and circulatory system to function properly.
So why the continual increase of obese people in the United States? The basic obesity fact in gaining weight is eating more calories than the body burns through physical activity, but this is easier said than done. Of course, with the increased use of cars, as well as an increase in office jobs where workers do not receive physical activity throughout the day, this has immediately lessened the amount of physical activity Americans receive. Add to this the continual increase in availability of fatty foods from fast food restaurants and processed foods at the grocery stores and this becomes a deadly combination.
Of course these are not the only reasons that people gain weight. Obesity is a problem for many because of family history, a psychological disorder, thyroid disease, or even medications that slow the metabolism, making it more difficult to lose weight. There are also a variety of other environmental factors that can aid in creating an obesity problem.
In order to avoid the health risks associated with obesity, many are looking for an obesity solution in their own personal lives. Of course the most natural way to fight obesity is through lifestyle changes that include daily exercise and eating healthy foods. Depending on how overweight a person has become, this may be a long process to undertake. In order to get a jump start on the weight loss process, many morbidly obese people are entertaining surgical procedures, such as gastric bypass surgery, to help them in controlling continued weight gain.
Surgical procedures will not be considered an obesity solution for those with a pre-existing medical condition. In these cases, consultation with a doctor is absolutely necessary. Doctors can likely prescribe medication, as well as healthy foods and exercise that will allow for safe weight loss.
Although they continue to become increasingly popular, surgical procedures are not an obesity solution. Many individuals who have received this procedure have actually put a considerable amount of weight back on simply because they did not change their lifestyle. In order to maintain the weight loss, a diet must include healthy food selections, as well as regular exercise, at least 4-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes a day.
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