Obesity In America - How Did We Get Here And What Can Be Done About It?

Oddly enough, several weeks ago, weight loss and health issues were not much of a concern to me. Granted, I was aware that I had put on some extra pounds over the years, but not to the point of being overly concerned. I had been to my family doctor earlier this year, and happily enough, she had told me that I was in "great shape". Needless to say, it left me feeling pretty good about my current physical condition, and rather complacent to trying to improve my health.

That being said, we as Americans are in some of the worse shape of any people on this planet. Statistically, 1 in 3 people in America are obese, that is over 33% of us, and that isn't including those who are just over weight. This is not only an adult issue either, this is affecting our children as well. In the history of our existence, we are the heaviest we have ever been.

You have to ask yourself, "how has this happened"? Seriously, we were once, one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries on this planet. You would think, we would have used this wealth and power to educate and intervene long before this epidemic ever even started.

Why is being over weight such a problem, you ask? Before we go into the internal physical health issues, lets take a look at the basic external issues. First of all, it is very unattractive, for the most part, the heavier one gets, the less attractive they become, and not just to others, but to themselves as well. This can certainly lead to a life of loneliness and isolation, which can have a major effect on mental health. It is all connected, so physical health issues are soon to follow.

Physical health issues are not limited to, but can include, heart disease, pulmonary issues, diabetes, and skin disorders, just to mention a few. These issues are no laughing matter, one or more of them, if not handled properly and more importantly reversed, can lead to untimely and premature deaths. Obviously this will have a huge impact on the individual who is directly going through this, but it also has serious effects on their family and friends.

More often than not, the basic cause for this growing epidemic boils simply enough down to choices. Every day, we all make the choice of what we are going to put into our bodies, via our mouth. Unfortunately, fast food has become the most common choice for a large number of Americans. Not only are you getting far to many calories from this bad decision food, but then you are washing it down with gallons of soda, (sugar, sugar, sugar). As if this isn't bad enough three times a day, then there are multiple sodas consumed though out the day, jet adding more unnecessary calories that you body just can't process and burn off in a fast enough manner.

For those who do not eat "drive in" fast food daily, they are still eating fast food at home, such as "tv dinners" and processed and refined items. The old "heat em up, eat em ups" found in the frozen section of the local grocery store. If you pay attention, some are better than others, but for the most part, you may as well go to the "drive through" because you are basically putting the same junk in your body as you would be getting, had you just gone to the "drive through". The end result is more and more fat building up, and unless something is done to change this cycle, it will more than likely not end until that person is dead.

The bottom line is, if you want to take your health back, get off all of the lousy prescriptions drugs, you need to start treating your body like the temple it should be. The only way to do this is to cut out all the processed and refined foods. Go to an all natural diet, fresh fruits and vegetables are by far the best disease fighters. Nuts and berries are also great food choices in fighting obesity and disease. Getting a little more exercise isn't a bad choice either.

It comes down to choices, and you can choose to stay on the path you are on and continue to be unhappy with your weight and run the risk of serious illness, or you can chose to change it all right now, this very day. I did a food experiment, and at first I really didn't have any particular goal, but as I started to drop pounds, I decided my goal would be to lose 20 pounds. I wanted to do this without exercising, just changing my diet. The reason for not exercising was I wanted to prove it could be done this way, because a large number of Americans are far to lazy to exercise, mostly because they are over weight and it is far to much effort for them. By doing it the way I did it, I'm hoping it will motivate at least one over weight person to at least give it a shot, even if just for a few weeks. If you don't see results, then by all means, go back to your own ways, and let fate play out as it should.

It took me 5 weeks and 4 days to achieve my goal. I eliminated all meat from my diet, cut way back on my dairy products and ate mostly fruits and vegetables, and for the most part ate them raw. I found the best way to eat raw vegetables was by juicing them, so I bought a juicer. I even went to the point of doing a 10 day juice fast in order to detox my body from all the garbage that had built up over the past 40 plus years. Be eliminating meat, refined sugars and processed foods, my grocery bill also went down as my weight was dropping too. In short, I was double dipping on the positive side of things.

Why not give this a try yourself? What do you have to lose, besides a lot of weight, prescriptions drugs and a very negative outlook on your life? All the medicine you need is growing in a garden in someones backyard, why not make that your backyard?

If you have any desire to learn any more about this amazing journey I went on, you can read all about my food experiment, how I got started on it and see the see the charted results. Click here to learn more.

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Obesity Is Not Only Killing America

People are getting fatter in all corners of the world. The World Health Organization predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults and over 700 million obese adults in the world by the year 2015. This epidemic is a modern day disaster. Fifty years ago, statistical data wasn't kept about this deadly disease. Most everyone identifies the burgeoning world wide fast food industry as the number one culprit of this crisis. However true, sedentary professions, stressful jobs, lack of exercise and the convenience of motorized vehicles also contribute to the far reaching problem. Most disturbing are the recent trends and current statistics showing how obesity has rampantly spread to our children. Obesity experts are alarmed by studies suggesting obesity runs in families suggesting a possible genetic link between individuals and obesity.

Keep in mind; obesity in families may also be attributed to family members sharing common dietary and lifestyle habits as well as similar attitudes toward exercise and physical regimens. Parents have a strong influence over the children they raise. They directly affect the shopping habits of their kids as well as their personal hygiene and self esteem. Recent trends show that obese children and adolescents frequently grow up to be obese adults. This trait is one we should not pass on to the next generation.

Our environment can also affect the outrageous obesity rate. Would you believe me if I told you air conditioning can contribute to obesity? Second to lack of sleep, cooled air and a comfortable temperature encourages an individual to eat more food. Research has shown that persons placed in inclement environments tend to eat much less. Graphical data points between obesity rate and air conditioning usage illustrates the correlation between the spread of air conditioning across the world and the rise of obesity. Sleep doctors hypothesize, a lack of sleep severely jolts the body's metabolic system, expending greater amounts of instant energy.

University of Chicago researcher Esra Tasali notes that waistlines in modern societies started to expand as people started to sleep less. Nowadays, the 'sleep deficit' is two hours per night compared with 40 years ago. Over time society has become educated and made increasingly aware of the addictive dangers of smoking, taking drugs and drinking alcohol. Recent studies confirm individuals who give up any one of the aforementioned addictions will often gain weight immediately afterward. Legal and illicit drugs produce chemical stimulation to the body triggering an addictive effect. Such stimulation can also block unpleasant feelings and people suffering from addictive eating disorders use chemical stimulation to curb unbearable urges of hunger. The fastest way to defeat any disorder is to recognize the addiction and get the appropriate help.

Through a combination of proprietary products, mental and nutritional counseling my methodology is known to aid rapid fat loss, amplifies lean body mass, improves energy and increases overall metabolic rate. Whatever caused your weight gain, one thing is for sure. It is time to stop the spiraling obesity roller coaster ride you are on and reclaim your life. A shorter life span and not living your life to its fullest is not acceptable! You have the power within you, "Training of the body starts with the mind!" I have placed the facts on the table and only you hold the key to control your destiny. You can stop dieting and end your weight loss struggles forever.

Discover how to stop dieting and end your weight loss struggles forever with Gabi Rose's new free e-book--Eat to Live; Don't Live to Eat-- available for free at http://www.gabirose.com/. Gabi Rose is considered an international obesity and weight loss expert. She is the co-host and executive co-producer of the upcoming TV show, Absolute Beauty on WEtv Women's Entertainment Television, reaching an estimated 77 million households nationally. Absolute Beauty seeks to bring a fresh new approach to exploring the many beauty, fashion, health & fitness, options available to the everyday consumer. Gabi is also the host and co-producer of The Get Fit Club, a one of a kind reality series on ABC in South Florida, local10.com.

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Is Obesity More Prevalent in America Than European Countries? My Eye Test Says Yes!

I just came back from a vacation with my family. We went to Italy and Lithuania. During our stay, I did make some interesting observations regarding obesity in Europe; there really is no obesity in Europe. Of course there are those who are a little overweight, but it's not like it is here in the States.

So, why is there obesity in America and how is Europe able to stay trim? Some of my thoughts here are based on the eye test and some based on research and general knowledge. First, I did notice some real differences in culture. European cities do have fast food but not commercial fast food, at least to the point that we have in the US. In Lithuania, a lot of the diet includes a variety of potato dishes, which of course is a starch and from what I have heard over the years, should not be eaten regularly in order to maintain normal weight. Lithuanians are typically big boned and tall. This is my third trip to Lithuania spanning 12 years. I've never spotted a person that was markedly overweight like you see every day here in the US.

My family and I then spent four days in Rome. Everyone knows about the wonderful pasta dishes one can eat. What I saw for four days in Rome is this: pasta, ready made pizza stands on almost every street corner, bakeries with that outstanding crusty bread. The cookies and gelato stores are everywhere and filled with people. Not just the tourists in these stores. The locals are in these stores too. So, are those locals overweight? Nope, it's basically the same as in Lithuania, no overweight people. Ok, let's break this down; what are the differences in the American and European cultures?

1. What I did not see in Europe were the usual fast food shops that you see in the US. In America and on any street corner, there are plenty of restaurants that use trans-fats oil, the unhealthiest of all oils. Restaurants claim it's changing and are purportedly using healthier oils. Whether or not trans-fats are used, it's still saturated fats, which move from your mouth right over to your hips and belly.

2. Americans feast on their favorite vegetable, French fries, their favorite sandwich a big burger with cheese and wash it down with a large soda that's made with high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. The burger alone is 29 grams of fat. A medium order of fries is 22 grams of fat. 51 Grams! What about the pop? Frankly, it's in a league of its own. On average, there are 7-10 teaspoons of sugar in a serving of pop. That's just one serving but many people, especially teens have 3 or more cans a day! 3 cans of pop are 30 Tsp. of sugar. Oh, do you think anyone has dessert?

3. High fructose corn syrup is a real health hazard and used in everything from ice cream, cookies, cakes, commercial breads, meats and sausages. HFCS is the number one source of calories in the US. The biggest culprit for this horrible product is soda pop. We are the number one consumer of soda pop per capita in the world. High empty calories providing no nourishment. Is it a wonder Americans are breaking the scale? On the other side are the diet sodas that are made with aspartame or other artificial sweetners. Those are getting a reputation for being more unhealthy than the sugared sodas.

4. From a young age, it's apparent that many kids are sent the wrong message about diet and nutrition. It is also apparent that most families don't sit down together at the dinner table every night. Whether or not kids liked it, back in the day, that's what we all did. We sat down at the dinner table and had a balanced meal. Now, too much junk food fills their stomachs and there is no room for a nourishing meal. Their diet is poor at home and now, school lunches are being criticized even on TV with the Jamie Oliver food experience. How do they break the chain?

5. I hate to show my age but back in the day before electronic games, my friends and I would literally hang out after school to play any sport we could. That was our past time. That was our exercise. I try to get my 14 year old outside and away from the laptop. It's very difficult. We do play tennis a couple times a week and he has gym in school but the culture is very different. There really is no motivation for kids to go out and play after school. The poor diet and lousy exercise regimen makes for fat kids. Fat kids turn into fat adults. Jamie Oliver is really opening some eyes to what American kids are eating in school.

6. Exercise for adults in the US is quite a bit different than what I saw in Europe. Americans use their cars a heck of a lot more than Europeans. If there is a good reason for the gas prices going up as they are, perhaps more people will walk or bike instead of driving everywhere and anywhere. Regarding actual exercise, I sense that health clubs and working out is more of an American thing where Europeans just do more physical labor like walk and take stairs.

I hope that we as a nation can turn this obesity issue around because with obesity comes poor health. Issues like diabetes, heavy metal toxicity, high blood pressure and more will put an extra burden on our health insurance system.

Peter Pauletti created his website in an effort to make people aware of heavy metal toxicity in children and adults. Toxicity comes from many sources including from foods in the above mentioned article.

For more information, go to http://healyourtoxicchild.com/.

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Why Obesity Is a Bigger Problem in America Than in Europe

It's a common joke around the world - Americans are fat. 60 million adults in America suffer from obesity, and an estimated 9 million children are well on their way to a future as an obese adult. At the same time, every western European nation has an obesity rate lower than that of the United States. American culture emphasizes three things over Europe that all factor into the disparate obesity rates: big plates, processed foods, and cars.

Numerous studies have shown that portion sizes in the U.S. are bigger than in Europe. Americans tend to use bigger plates and fill them up with more food before even beginning their meals. Europeans eat smaller servings that Americans would scoff at, but still manage to consume the calories and nutrients their bodies need. It turns out the portion size difference is even true in fast food chains. For example, American Burger Kings sell a Triple Whopper - but walk into a Burger King in the U.K. and you'll only find a Double Whopper on the menu. In fact, many American restaurants glorify overeating. Most Americans can probably name a local eatery which challenges its patrons to eat an enormous amount of food in one sitting, such as a whole pizza or a multi-pound steak. Successful participants are rewarded with a free t-shirt and and their picture immortalized on a "Wall of Fame." To make matters worse, the food in these challenges is always extremely greasy or otherwise unhealthy. It's never a "salad eating challenge."

In addition, the American diet is dominated by processed foods, which are often high in corn syrup. The U.S. government created financial incentives for farmers to grow more corn decades ago when many Americans were undernourished, but over time the problem has swung in the opposite direction. Now the U.S. overproduces corn, so it processes it into high fructose corn syrup, which is then added to most of the packaged foods sold in American grocery stores. Some studies suggest that it's easier to work off the calories consumed by regular sugar than it is to work off the calories consumed by corn syrup. The extremely low cost of adding corn syrup to products has other unexpected effects. Corn syrup lends an extra amount of sweetness to foods where you normally wouldn't expect it, such as processed tomato soup in a can. American consumers become used to the sweetness of their foods and have a hard time enjoying more natural tomato soup recipes which would be lower in calories. Europeans tend to avoid the whole problem of corn syrup by limiting the amount of it that can be added to products and cooking their meals from scratch with fresh ingredients.

Finally, American culture idolizes cars. Americans not only rely on cars to get around, they view them as an important part of their social status. Teenagers about to get their licenses beg their parents for a new car, lest they be the least cool kid in school. The wealthy build curving driveways in front of their mansions to show off their multiple luxury convertibles. Europeans aren't nearly as obsessed with cars. Their cities are compact and efficient. Europeans often walk or bike to work, school, or the store. Their well-run public transportation systems lead many to not even own cars. Even when taking the bus or train, a European citizen would need to walk or bike to the nearest stop or station. Because of this, Americans lead much more sedentary lifestyles than do Europeans. As a result, the extra calories consumed via larger portion sizes and artificially sweetened foods never have a chance of being worked off.

American culture has given the world some of the best of music, movies, art, and fashion; however, through its emphasis on eating, processed foods, and cars, it is also giving its citizens higher rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

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How the rise of obesity in America is a growing demand for Bariatric equipment for travel and more

It is a fact: 93 million Americans are overweight. According to the U.s. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in three Americans are overweight. One-third are obese, that is to say, they are at least 20 percent heavier than their ideal body weight. About one in 20 people is a morbidly obese or his or her ideal body weight from 50 to 100%.

Is overweight or obese increases the risk of acquiring severe medical problems, heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, and much more. The increased stress of carrying extra weight, especially the bones of the body to set/the joints of the legs make it difficult to walk. In addition, breathing problems, such as sleep apnea and asthma can lead to overweight or obese.

Bariatric equipment has been further developed in recent years, can accommodate the growing number of people who are overweight or obese, medical and emergency assistance services for mobility in everyday life, or to enjoy the journey.

What are hospitals, fire departments and other emergency services and can accommodate persons who are overweight or obese in doing? You are investing in bigger, stronger, bariatric equipment. The entire country, more and more hospitals offer a larger wheelchair lifts, electronic, and walkers, the paarien of patient privacy curtains; tukevammista beds, floor toilet, a bathroom and a double wide chairs. They are still in the CT scanners to the weight limit. Ambulances are currently being retrofitted to tukevammista with the floorboards, the automated paarien that hold more weight, larger beds, ramps, elevators, and much more.

Regardless of their weight, or they can have their weight problems in the health of the people who are overweight or obese, and the need to travel, and require special equipment to do so. A large cruise ship, theme park, Conference Centre, or even maneuvering around the business of food can be a major challenge for the persons who are overweight or obese. In addition, it is very likely that they require to the specific needs of the mobile devices, such as other health problems, asthma, sleep apnea, etc.

Can accommodate persons who are overweight or obese, and they can travel without barriers, the special needs team offers a wide range of high-quality, reliable, and the specific needs of the equipment of the bariatric. This includes:

• Wheelchair rentals for individuals in the courts of a mass not exceeding 750 pounds
• Scooter Rentals for those who must weigh not more than 500 pounds
• Very extensive rollator rental (with walkers)
• Oxygen and oxygen equipment rentals

For all those, irrespective of weight and would have the right to travel. The special needs of the large group to help the thousands of people to the services of the authorities, who have special needs, including those who are overweight or obese, to understand their dreams of travel. By providing equipment rentals company is a bariatric gives these persons can enjoy comfortably the world without the examination of the obstacles to travel.

For more information, visit http://www.specialneedsgroup.com/.

Special needs Group, Inc., based in South Florida is a leading global supplier of wheelchair rentals, Scooter Rentals, oxygen rentals and other special needs equipment rentals. It also provides a variety of special needs equipment to purchase.

Andrew j. Garnett, founder, President and CEO, the special needs of the Group and the special needs at sea, the building is more than ten years with special needs for the industry's global brand leadership experience. In terms of the company's installations and the marketer, his vision and business performance expertise have driven significant growth on the specific needs and Travel industry.

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