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.

View the original article here

What People Need to Realize About Childhood Obesity

There has been a steady increase in childhood obesity in the United States and it continues to baffle and confound professionals of every stripe. Of course, it doesn't help the fact that almost all liquid beverages (and even solid foods) sold within the United States contain high levels of fructose corn syrup. But that is an issue for another time. What makes childhood obesity sad is that the kids who suffer from it seem like they haven't been given a fair shot at life, and that's terrible. Kids with childhood obesity are forced to deal with emotional abuse in the form of taunts and harsh words from their peers and physical problems like constant joint and back pain, arthritis and sometimes even Type II diabetes. This is a hard and terrible subject and we'll look at it some more in this article.

For kids, teens and adults who suffer from obesity, Type II diabetes is a real threat. Of course, it does make a certain sum of sense that it might happen. Type II is different from Type I in that sometimes Type II diabetes can be prevented. Risk factors for Type II diabetes include weight problems like obesity and a prolonged sedentary lifestyle. For those who are obese, their bodies are under a lot of extra pressure to produce more insulin. There is obviously, in this situation, a far greater amount of person who needs the hormone. Over time the body becomes more and more resistant to the insulin it produces and that is when Type II diabetes happens. Widespread research has proven that kids who suffer from obesity are far more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than kids who aren't obese. This condition is alarming because it leads to the blocking of a child's airway while he or she is sleeping. Kids who are overweight and obese are more likely to snore too but, according to researchers, that is actually deceiving. It's also possible that the snoring is a symptom of something called OSA or obstructive sleep apnea. One possible approach to the problem is a procedure called an adenotonsillectomy which is meant to treat the condition specifically in young people.

You can probably guess that there is a serious social stigma that gets assigned to obese kids and teenagers. Even just going to school each day has to be a terrible experience. The effects of chronic teasing, comments and even bullying will certainly cause life-long psychological scars or even severe damage. Every person is going to have a different response to this. The ripple effects of being obese are huge and serious, and we seriously think many obese teens and adults may seek counseling so they can deal with the damage done. There is a real problem with kids and teens who suffer from obesity that affects other people too. You should also think about this in terms of the cost it puts on society. Obese kids will usually become obese adults, and there are costs associated with medical, lost time from work, etc. This proves that obesity is really a problem for society even though that isn't at the forefront of most peoples' awareness.

It's easy to see that these children are at a major social and physical disadvantage once they have gotten to this point. We all know how hard it is to lose weight and that you have to be very determined and have lots of support to do it. Parents and friends need to offer as much support as they can. Young adults and kids alike are resilient people and have an easier time bouncing back once healthy directions have been taken. Visit child obesity blog and learn more how to prevent and cure it as well.

View the original article here

The Horrible Facts About Obesity

(1) You are packing away more calories than you can work off.

(2) You are not doing enough or any exercises.

(3) Your heart is under immense strain. The telling signs are; chest pains known as angina. Your heart is trying to tell you something is wrong.

(4) Fat is being laid down in and around the heart. This will lead to blocked arteries.

(5) All of your joints are under pressure and being damaged. The outcome is osteoarthritis.

(6) There is strong evidence that obese people suffer from gout.

(7) Your cholesterol levels are rising to a dangerous level.

(8) It is quite certain that you have or soon, will have type 2 diabetes. Which can lead to blindness

(9) Fat is causing irreversible damage to your liver by scarring; this is called cirrhosis of the liver disease. This can only be cured by a liver transplant.

(10) You have high blood pressure which can lead to a stroke or a heart attack.

(11) You suffer from hypertension and unstable temperature.

Death will prevent you getting treatment for any of the above facts and it will be too late.

If you are reading this, then it is not too late, something can be done.

Visit your doctor and take careful note of the treatment he will lay out for you. You owe it to yourself to change your life style starting from today. You are the only master of your destiny, tell yourself that you are going to listen to the doctor, change your eating habits, your life style and try a few little gentle exercises. I know it will be hard to start with but a diet change alone can make a substantial difference.

Adding a few gentle exercises is sure to help with your weight reduction. If you are not embarrassed, go to the local baths and do a couple of lengths of the pool. Swimming is one kind of exercise that puts all of the joints through a good workout. As the water takes the weight off your joints you will find it easier to move about and get the exercise you need.

After a couple of months you WILL notice the changes, your breathing will get a little easier, your temperature will stabilise. Shock yourself by climbing onto the scales and seeing with horror that you are losing weight.

Now isn't that a shame? Don't start running around the block just yet, keep to the diet that your doctor prescribed, and try to increase the exercises and most of all, PLEASE KEEP SMILING.

Gordon Youd.

I like to keep people informed about weight loss problems.

http://www.weight-loss-supreme.com/

View the original article here

The Scary New Facts About The Cause For Obesity

The bare fact: if you take more calories than of what is required of your body in a daily basis, the excess will be stored as fat thus gaining weight. Too much of these, over a period of time, will surely make you obese.

There are various causes of obesity like eating habits, heredity or genetics, inadequate physical activity and etc. but the main cause for obesity is eating habits like overeating and improper diet.

A person's metabolism says how the calorie you would take be used. It varies from person to person but if you take more of what your body needs calories will be stored. Simply, the major causes of obesity are taking in more than what your body needs.

You must be of great watch on what you eat. Nowadays, we are more exposed into great food. The most available in the market are those with high amount of calorie and fat. Thus, making it easy to make imbalance one's diet. We usually establish our eating habit, or diet, during the middle of our twenty's. Also, during this stage is where we get busy with life chasing our careers majority tend to reduce our physical activity. And this eating habit we carry until middle age. Simply saying that the causes of obesity slink slowly as our activities slows down and our enthusiasm over food stays the same. Hence, improper eating habit is to blame for obesity.

Another cause for obesity, as mentioned, is inadequate physical activity. Calories are stored as fat. And we use carbohydrates, fat and protein as source of energy but the fuel depends on how the body is using the energy. We all know that fat has two-times of calorie than that of carbohydrates. We can equate that using more fats as fuel means losing more unwanted fats in the body.

We use energy in various physical activities and the fuel depends on what activity we are doing. For higher strength exercise, such as fast pace running, our body uses carbohydrates as fuel rather than fat. It is because of our body's metabolism. While doing high-intensity exercise, the pathways to combust carbohydrates are more accessible than of the pathways for fat which makes carbohydrates as main source of fuel during this kind of exercise. Fat is used as fuel for energy in longer and slower exercise. But when it comes to weight loss, it does not matter what fuel you use - may it be carbohydrates your burning or fat - the essence it that we don't take much more calorie than what we burn.

One surely would want to avoid these causes of obesity, not just because one needs to be in shape for aesthetic value but, being healthy means longer life. One must be conscious not to become obese for some health effects such as abnormal blood clotting, enlargement of the heart, coronary disease, hypertension, diabetes and etc.

The base line now for a healthier body and longer life is to watch what you eat, have a proper diet and exercise and do not take much more calorie than what you are using, this way, you'll surely be living a worry free from causes of obesity. Have a healthy body!

For ways to help with obesity including the latest prevention and treatments for obesity go to http://www.causeforobesity.com/ NOW!

View the original article here

The Futility of Anti-Obesity Campaigns: Unwelcome Facts About Reality

INTRODUCTION: Few lifestyle topics attract more words than nutrition and within the topic of nutrition, the obesity issue gets a lot of if not most of the attention. Whether the focus is weight loss, optimal health or some related nutritional issue, this seems to be the case.

Historically, nutritional advice and solutions offered for problem states have been more complex than need be. The science behind fundamentals of wise dining is clear. Key principles are neither mysterious nor uncertain. No additional rain forests should be sacrificed for more books (and dissertations) on optimal nutrition.

A sound understanding of wise dining invites an overview of foundation realities. These include unconventional explanations of why so many Americans are fat, what foods make the most difference for better and worse, the pace of body change, misplaced fears about terrorism and the downside of polite public service messages about obesity. Brief summaries on these matters will demonstrate the futility of obesity campaigns as not launched by public health authorities. This essay offers a few unwelcome facts about reality versus how obesity is currently addressed. These observations are based upon findings from multiple recent scientific findings, including a detailed long-term analysis of factors that influence weight gain conducted at Harvard University over the course of two decades. The Harvard research, known as the Nurses' Health Study, involved 120,877 nurses, doctors, dentists and veterinarians who, at the start of the research period, were healthy, not obese or otherwise suffering from any known medical problems. Every two years, the study subjects completed detailed questionnaires about their weight, eating and other habits. The findings were published in June 2011 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

WHY THE UNPRECEDENTED OBESITY? While genetic inclinations may account for weight gain for some, other factors are usually more consequential. Americans who were lean and mean in their youth gain weight over the years little by little and bit by bit. This occurs for other than genetic reasons - influences that are largely social, economic and cultural. All these determinants are reflected in one key bottom-line fact - calories taken in are out of proportion to calories expended. Translated into simplest language, it comes down to this: Too much food and too little exercise is guaranteed to make you fat, eventually. "Eventually" usually sets in by middle age and gets worse after that.

If the obesity epidemic could be explained in a sentence, that sentence would be something like this: "We exercise way too little but the diets we favor constitute an even 'weightier' problem."

FOODS FOR BETTER, FOODS FOR WORSE! Comprehensive studies done at Harvard University, referenced at the end of this commentary, suggest what most wellness promoters have advocated for decades, namely, that exercise and nutrition are the foundation variables for effective weight management. However, other factors affect both in dramatic ways, especially sleep, the company kept, alcohol intake and other lifestyle factors, particularly excessive TV and self-abuse. ("Self-abuse" means smoking, not masturbation.)

I was delighted to find that moderation in all things was shown NOT to be a good idea and the same can now be said, with supportive evidence to back it up, about dieting and other simplistic notions, such as counting calories and avoiding "fatty" foods. The guiding phrase that governs these issues always has been and remains "it depends." Short, spiffy-sounding rules mean little out of context with other variables, which make a key difference concerning health and weight gain over time for better or worse. In medicine, there are no magic bullets - and the same applies to nutrition concerning weight management.

Some foods (e.g., potato chips, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats) are really, really bad. While the best course is to largely avoid the real stinkers, if your taste buds are undisciplined and you simply can not resist putting serious crap in your mouth, at least take remedial steps to mitigate the damage. Such steps include extra exercise in the days before and after such reckless indulgences, and loading up on the best foods (e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and yogurt) prior to and after going on a junk bender.

REALTY CREEPS UP, NEVER LEAPS ON, YOUR BODY. Fat does not happen overnight - or in a week or a month. However, it's sneaking up on you if you are not active. By the time you realize its gaining, it has already settled in your stomach, thighs and ass - and it's nearly too late to do much about it. Making a comeback to normal, or better yet, a fit and functional attractive body is a hard road. You can do it, others have done it but it's just so much easier and more rational not to let reality sneak up on you in the first place. Reality, of course, is fat.

FAT IS PROBABLY A GREATER THREAT TO YOU THAN AL-QAEDA. In the sense that fat is more likely to get to you and do some serious damage than any Al-Qaeda maniac (unless you vacation in Pakistan), you should take the dangers from fat seriously and employ evasive action. No more effective deterrent exists than a wellness lifestyle.

I don't like to dwell on the dark side or negative consequences; it is pleasanter and more effective to focus on the positive, joyful and self-reinforcing positive returns from creating and sustaining a wellness mindset and habit pattern. But, sometimes I can't help it so let me simply note that fat in excess is a high-risk fast track to a host of very unpleasant states. For women, these dark side states include but are not limited to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and breast cancer and for men, high risks for heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer. You can use your imagination for the bright side payoffs of avoiding overweight via sound diet and vigorous exercise. However, I'll add one that appeals to vanity - you will always look better when trim than bloated and you won't have as much expense or frustration buying new stuff all the time because your wardrobe no longer fits.

BEING NICE MAY NOT BE THE BEST APPROACH. Structural changes in the culture will be the surer path to obesity reduction than a continued barrage of health education messages from governmental and non-profit institutions. The epidemic of fat that afflicts sufferers and society, the immense costs of treatments and other burdens is well beyond personal action to reverse. People just can't do it, that is, manage wellness lifestyles. The facts of human nature, combined with affluence and the power of big business, overwhelm the slim chances consumers might have had for choosing and sustaining wise lifestyle choices. In short, it's too easy to get fat, too hard to become and stay fit. As noted Aussie nutrition expert Glenn Cardwell has shown, "we love easy - and society now offers nothing BUT easy." In America and other Western nations, nearly everyone can afford (or at least manage access to) energy expenditure substitutes (e.g., cell phones, television, donuts and so on) and democracy assures us the right to ruin ourselves if we choose to do so, which most do.

So, match all these obesity-inducing factors against public service campaigns that offer information (e.g., a model plate to replace a model food pyramid) and what are the chances of arresting the spread of the national lard index? Pretty close to zero, don't you think?

Mr. Cardwell does recognize two variables that history shows always create an average decline in body weight, but neither seems very desirable: War and famine. Both are always attended by other costs or perturbations even worse than an obese society. Quoting Cardwell: "Put another way, there is no obesity solution that has a respect for life. Obesity is the price you pay to live in a free, affluent democratic country."

Well, don't let me discourage you. Do what you can to stay well, fit and focused on look on the bright side of life.

Publisher of the ARDELL WELLNESS REPORT (AWR) - a weekly electronic newsletter devoted to commentaries on current issues that affect personal and social well being from a quality of life perspective. The emphasis is on REAL wellness, which is also the topic of Don's latest book. Read about it here - https://www.createspace.com/3478226 - The "REAL" acronym reflects key issues embraced and advanced in Don's philosophy, namely, Reason, Exuberance, Athleticism and Liberty. Sample copy of Don's latest edition by request. If you like it, you can sign up - the price is right - free. Contact Don at awr.realwellness@gmail.com

View the original article here

Basic information about the Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure,

Are you thinking about undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure to remedy the morbid obesity? The second to have ideas about that, because you are not interested about the procedure? This article is intended to provide some important information that you can use to help you decide whether a procedure is best for you.

First of all, let's see what morbid obesity refers to. It is associated with several disorders in the medical field, and which often results in the reduction of life expectancy of the patient's account of the disease. Records show the weight of tradition, such as plans, diet, exercise, and medication may not be able to repair the morbid obesity. And so, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure, is a good solution.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure, make a small incision of laparoscopic instruments, the bodies of the exercise. Laparoscopic instrument has been added to the stomach to make a small bag of food during the digestion fluid in the stomach the GNA. As a result of the stomach through the connection of a bag (the surgical joining) in the small intestine anastomosis.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure, the purpose is to decrease patients ' food intake. As a consequence of this is the reduction in appetite. Primarily due to the weight of the integration process of the restrictive by limiting the amount of food that can be enjoyed at any time. Likely to be positive, the patient requires a malabsorption of vitamins and supplements. The preliminary result is that fast weight loss, which will eventually stabilize the 12 to 18 months.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure after the patient to experience a temporary intolerance in fatty or oily foods, milk products and sugary foods. Symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain and excessive Sweating may occur. As is the status of the dumping syndrome. Usually this occurs the patient, who was previously accustomed to eating foods that are high vähäenergiaisten content. It is best that the Roux-en-Y procedure of laparoscopic should begin a patient after eating a wholesome food.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure, resulting in a huge amount of weight loss, especially during the first few months after the surgery. Although it is the most obese patients to lose weight, healthy experiences, it is important to prevent side effects such as fatigue and hair loss. A patient is in close cooperation with their doctor or dietician to ensure that they only eat the meals of the EFRAG's always.

It is important to emphasize that the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure cannot enter another eat uncontrollably. The patient, who continued their bad eating habits with the risks of their specialization in after stretching the stomach pouch, or a range of possible weight dilating anastomosed will lead to profit.

Records show that on average, patients who are treated with laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure, they lost heavily during the appetite for the first five months of the date of the post procedure. For this reason alone, patients must be strict with their food supplies, ensuring that there is a need to prevent vitamin supplements are taken, to develop a deficiency. Patients who cannot maintain good eating habits are likely to be back on the weight and tend to get twice as much weight as well, such as lost as a result of a surgical procedure.

Even if the weight is on the fast procedure the Roux-en-Y, laparoscopic weight eventually taper down to surgery in six to nine months. If you are interested in having such a problem of obesity surgery, make sure that you understand the procedure completely. Hear from experienced doctor, because he is the best person to talk to, and you can be sure of that, he recommends a procedure that is best suited to take into account the medical condition.

If you or someone you know is the obese and on top of the search for a solution, click here to learn more about the Roux-En-Y gastric bypass.

View the original article here