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How big of a problem is Obesity?:Obesity is definitely an epidemic of mammoth proportions in the United States. The current adult population is aging in a way never before scene in our time. Adult obesity is rampant with some statistics showing that over 60 million Americans are considered obses (roughly 30% of all those 20 and older). Fast food diets and lack of exercise are certainly two of the leading reasons why we have all gained so much weight. Calories are easy to come by these days with dessert type coffee drinks and soda that people seem to be consuming at alarming rates. Don't think that adults are the only ones with weight issues, now kids are becoming FAT as well in record numbers. Since 1980, the number of kids who are considered overweight has tripled (9 million youngsters). Just what should you do to overcome such a problem as being obese or overweight? Dieting may not be the answer as most people get on so called "yo yo" diets and watch their weight go up and down but they never keep the pounds off. We would recommend that you talk with your primary physician and get help from a nutritionist to get back on track and feeling healthy. There are lots of prescription drugs that help curb your appetite and perhaps with the benefit of increased exercise, you can start slimming down.
Being obese has many health issues related to it including things like type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease hypertension, dyslipidemia, sleep apnea, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, and respiratory problems, and some cancers. Many people slowly gain the weight after their younger years and simple don't alter their exercise routine (if they have one) or change their diet so that their body can maintain a healthy weight. One fact that we can't hide from is that over time our metabolisms change and usually for the worse. What you used to get away with as a 16 year old is no longer possible at 40. Eating fast foods and drinking a few beers a day will definitely add on those extra 40 pounds over a few years. What America needs to do is get off the couch and start daily exercise routines - something as simple as walking around the block to start with. Too many kids are raised on video games, fast food, and a lack of discipline when it comes to exercise. Parents are the culprits to this serious disease as now more kids than ever are obese due to their parents lack of understanding as to how it all happens. From what we hear from overweight people is that many don't eat because they are hungry - they eat to fill an emotional need that is not being met somewhere else in their lives. They eat because they are bored and the habit just feeds upon itself. Instead of sitting down to watch a movie with nothing to eat, some people are eating entire containers of ice-cream or 2 bags of candy to fill them up. The problem is the more you eat the more your body thinks it needs to consume to maintain that level. Losing weight is not a simple task since it's not always a matter of eliminating food. Many people need to go through extensive counseling to determine just what that "emotional need" is that makes them reach for food. Food is something they can control (very similar to anorexics or bulimics) and it makes them feel better emotionally. That gap needs to be "fed" with something besides food to help them lose the weight successfully. TV Shows like the Biggest Loser are popular since there are so many overweight adults in America who need some help in getting started. The motivation to continue on a diet and exercise routine is crucial for any kind of success. Obesity Surgery:More and more obese people are turning to quick fixes for a problem that took years to happen. Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. The idea behind gastric bypass surgery is that you will feel full more quickly than when your stomach was its original size, therefore reducing the amount of food you eat and thus the calories consumed. Bypassing part of the intestine also results in fewer calories being absorbed. This leads to weight loss. The most common gastric bypass surgery is a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The surgery involves a 4-6 day hospital stay and most patients return to normal activities within 3 to 5 weeks. The cost is between $17,000-$22,000. The problem is that this surgery is by no means a guarantee to lose weight and keep it off. Many people who have had the surgery done don't keep the weight off and often return to levels of obesity. The good news is that we know people can lose weight since there are millions that do it every year and keep it off, the unfortunately cycle to all this is that many people relapse back into terrible eating habits that destroy their results. Gastric bypass surgery should be considered a last resort to any weight loss program and it should only be done when other support systems are put into place before and afterwards to help the results along (counseling and nutritionists). Keep in mind that many people who are overweight eat for emotional reasons as much as they do because they are hungry. If this "emotional hunger" goes untreated, no surgery will help from being obese.
Child Obesity:There is nothing sadder to me than to see a small child (5 or 6) that is obese standing next to a parent that is also overweight. The child really has no chance in life if they are going to be fed a bad nutritional diet and slowly become fat without having any say in the matter. Education is certainly where much of treatment needs to start. Parents need to know what they are feeding their children and realize the long term effects this has on their healthy and well being. With the fast paced lifestyle of parents these days (work mostly), many kids are living on fast food diets and little or no exercise due to video games and physical education being dropped in schools across America. We truly do have a couch potato society on our hands and the health risks are way to high to stand still and watch. Kids need to get exercise just like adults and they need to have a balanced diet. Many schools are turning to nutritionists to create healthy meals at schools to get the kids on the right track. It does take time to change the eating habits of children as many are truly "addicted" to McDonalds and KFC's. Parents must step in and either buy or cook healthy foods at home and eliminate all the terrible snack foods that contain trans fats. You are seeing more and more labels read "No Trans Fat" but that doesn't mean they are any better for you as other types of fats have been substituted. Also, just because a food is organic doesn't mean it's good for you either. There are organic chocolates and cookies that still contain high levels of fat that could cause you to gain weight. Since kids don't know any better, we all need to "right the ship" and get the younger generation on a good exercise routine and keep them physically active in sports or programs outside of schools. Shaquille O'Neal was heavily involved recently in the Florida school system trying to implement a healthy meals program and after school physical education programs that would help the children gain a much needed lift and self esteem going forward.
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