rbaba
Age: 124
Total Posts: 249
Points: 0
Location:
Singapore, Singapore
Obesity is a chronic medical disease with serious health implications. Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. One in every three American adults is estimated to be obese. According to the American Obesity Association, obesity affects approximately 60 million people nationwide, a staggering increase of 75% over the last 20 years. And, that number is constantly on the rise.
Currently, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, second only to smoking cigarettes. Every day, more than 1,000 people in the country will die from obesity and its related health conditions.
Statistics indicate that within three to four years, obesity likely will surpass smoking as the number one cause of preventable death.
The costs associated with obesity are extremely high. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the total costs, both direct and indirect, attributed to people being overweight or obese add up to about $117 billion each year.
Obesity is caused by a complex set of factors which include genetics, environmental factors and behavioral components, which together cause an excess of body weight due to taking in more daily energy that the body expends. Obesity develops when energy intake consistently exceeds energy output.
Is obesity the same as overweight?
To most people, the term "obesity" means to be very overweight. According to the National Institute of Health, "overweight" is defined as an excess amount of body weight that includes muscle, bone, fat and water. "Obesity" specifically refers to an excess amount of body fat. Some people, such as bodybuilders or other athletes with a lot of muscle, can be overweight without being obese.
rbaba
Age: 124
6647 days old here
Total Posts: 249
Points: 0
Location:
Singapore, Singapore
What Is a Healthy Weight?
A healthy weight is a weight at which you feel good about yourself and have energy for work and play, and one that does not put you at risk for weight-related diseases—such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.
But weight is only one measure of your health. People who are thin but don't exercise or eat nutritious foods aren't necessarily at a healthy weight just because they are thin. A person who is overweight according to body mass index (BMI) charts may be healthy if he or she eats right and exercises regularly.
How much you eat is not the only determinant of your weight. Your age, metabolism, genetics, and how much you exercise also play an important role in your weight, health, and risk for disease. So it's important that you avoid comparing yourself to others and that you determine the lifestyle changes you need to make to maintain a healthy weight.
Nutrition is an extremely important component of being healthy. Consistently eating a balanced diet low in saturated fats combined with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and good fats, such as olive oil, is far better than dieting for quick weight loss and later returning to your previous eating habits.
Physical activity is key to improving your health and preventing serious illness. Regular physical activity significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, and cancers of the breast, colon, and female reproductive system. 1
Only 22% of people in the United States exercise at recommended levels. 1 You should get at least 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity 5 or more days a week.
Other things to consider about your weight include:
Your percentage of body fat, which is made up of essential fat needed for proper body functioning and stored fat for later use. Your percentage of body fat depends on genetics, lifestyle, and physical activities. In general, women have more body fat than men. There are several methods for estimating percentage of body fat.
Your body mass index (BMI), which is based on your height and weight. Your risk of weight-related diseases may increase if your weight is above or below BMI range. BMI measurements may be misleading if you are muscular or if you have lost a lot of muscle mass. To calculate your BMI, see:
Healthy weight chart for adults.
Healthy weight chart for adults (metric).
Where you store fat in your body. Fat is stored in the fatty tissue under the skin (subcutaneous tissue), in the abdominal cavity (intra-abdominal tissue), and within muscles (particularly in older adults). People who are "apple-shaped" and store fat around their abdomen are at increased risk for diseases associated with being overweight compared with people who are "pear-shaped" and store most of their fat around their hips. For information on how to assess your distribution of body fat, see calculating waist circumference.
