It’s in the papers and it’s on the news. There are pictures showing men and women from various races, with their bellies hanging over their belts and thighs so big they waddle when they walk. Now it is becoming a learned behavior by our youth. They too are exercising less, eating more and becoming increasingly heavier as a result. None of this is healthy.
So the population is getting heavier and unhealthier by the year. We are being categorized into two groups. One is obesity, which is being heavier than the government standard only because of increased fat. The other is overweight, which acknowledges excess weight can be attributed to muscle, water, bone or fat. Men are typically in the 20 – 40 percent body fat range, while women tend to be in the 30 – 50 percent range. Part of this is because of genetics and males having more muscle than women.
Bodybuilders will weigh more due to increased muscle mass but they clearly can’t be considered overweight. Most of us can look in the mirror and figure out if we need to lose a few pounds. This “look at yourself” scale is good for the vast majority of people.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) the number of overweight people has risen 20 percent, while the number of obese people (based on fat) has more than doubled, during the same time frame. Some reports show the number of kids overweight or obese, doubling in the last twenty years and the number of overweight teenagers tripling.These numbers aren’t good.
The rising numbers put a strain on our healthcare system. It has been found that this increase in our overweight and obese population is driving healthcare costs higher. They estimated 92 billion dollars a year was the cost to the healthcare system.
There are more costs that could be added if you consider the amount of lost work production that accompanies the treatment of these health problems. The CDC also estimates that the working class from 17 – 64 years of age cost approximately $4 billion in lost production due to missed days, doctor’s visits, and restrictions related to obesity.
Due to lifestyles, family, lack of motivation or employment demands, many of us don’t eat well or get the exercise we should. Some people may not care, but poor diet and lack of exercise are almost ready to overtake smoking as the number one cause of preventable deaths.
The more weight our bodies carry the more stress there is on our joints, muscles and spines. Each additional 10 pounds equates to 50 pounds of pressure to the knees and 10 pounds in the stomach region equals 100 pounds of pressure to our backs. There is also a direct correlation between proper weight and abnormal stress to the spine and posture. Obesity and inactivity affects internal health manifesting in heart problems, diabetes, reduced flexibility and ranges of motion.
There are other situations that can cause weight gain like tumors and water retention. In some cases your thyroid, an organ in your neck, could be unhealthy and sending the wrong information to your body. It is part of the Endocrine System, which is responsible for releasing the right amount of hormones to specific organs in your body to regulate mood, growth and metabolism.
Conditions like Hypothyroidism, in which your thyroid is functioning less than optimally, will slow your metabolism regardless of any exercise you do to try and raise it. Another example of an endocrine disorder would be Cushing’s Syndrome. In this disease the body releases far too much cortisol, which encourages the storage of fat within the body.
If you have any health concerns, or can&rs
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