The Weight of Your Weight

  The United States is facing an obesity epidemic. One Billion people are considered overweight (having a BMI of 25 to 30) and 300 million are considered obese (having a BMI of 30 or more). A 2005 study reported that 60.5% of the US population was overweight and 23.9% of the population were obese and the numbers are on the rise. As parents our weight and health habits have a direct effect on our children. A child with one overweight parent has a 40% chance of becoming overweight themselves and if both parents are overweight that chance doubles to 80%. Overweight and obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents since 1980. One study I reviewed even reported that 25% of pets in the US are obese and that obese pets were more likely to have obese owners! It is imperative that we make a change-not only for our health and well-being but for the health of our children and future generations.

    Obesity not only contributes to 300,000 deaths a year in the US but it also robs individuals of their health and quality of life. If you are overweight or obese here is a peek at what you can look forward to:
- hypertension
- diabetes
- coronary artery disease
- low back pain
- knee osteoarthritis
- impaired fertility
- neonatal mortality and malformations
- depression
- cancer- endometrial, cervical, breast, ovarian, and colon
- obstructive sleep apnea
- gastroesophageal reflux
- gallstones
- asthma
- stroke (Strokes are on the rise for women aged 45-55 which researchers feel is directly related to diet and lack of exercise.)
-  and heart attack, just to name a few.

   The good news is that it is never too late make a change. Managing your weight and choosing to adopt a healthy lifestyle at any age will improve your overall health and decrease your risk for all the previously mentioned ailments. The only thing standing between you and a long life of good health is-you. I encourage you to make the commitment to yourself and your children to make the change. We need to make healthy living an epidemic in the US. Which brings me back to the reason for this blog. Spread the word. If you have friends or family who want or need to make a change, tell them about this blog. Educate them on what you have learned. We can effect positive change one pound at a time.

For your convenience I have added a link to a BMI calculator to my Best.Links.Ever section. If you dont already know your BMI, I encourage you to find out. :)

*All research for this post can be found on Medscape.