Obesity: A Worldwide Problem
If you are overweight or obese, you are certainly not alone, in fact you are
in the majority.
In the United States, estimates as recent as 1999 show that 61 percent of
adults are overweight or obese and 13% of the children and adolescents are
overweight. And, obesity is becoming more prevalent in countries around the
world, even in those that have a very low incidence of obesity like China.
Does it help to be in the majority? If you are overweight, what matters is
not how many others have the same problem, but how your body weight affects
your personal health and well-being. Fighting obesity is a personal
challenge that is fought
one pound at a time.
Measuring Obesity
Overweight has been defined in the United States as a body mass index of
between 25 and 29.9. If an individual's body mass index is 30 or greater,
they are considered obese. As an example:
If you are 5'2" tall and weigh 142 pounds, your body mass index is 26 and
would be considered overweight and at greater health risk. This applies to
both men and women in the same way because this measurement is simply a
comparison of weight for height.
(see - "Body
Mass Index chart")
An Old Condition
Obesity is not a new condition. Anthropologists tell us that the problem is
more than 20,000 years old. Obesity has always existed in segments of
societies when abundant food supplies removed the threat of starvation. But
it has become a major public health problem in this country, a state of
affairs which worries the medical community.
Why are People Obese?
In this area, the results of recent studies raise many questions. While
controversy exists and there are no definite answers, scientists are
investigating the following as the most likely causes of obesity:
-
Overeating
-
Lack of exercise
-
Metabolic changes which trigger a higher than normal
level of lipoprotein lipase, the enzyme which directs the fat cells to
store fat; or a faulty response to nerve impulses which instructs the
cells to break down their fat stores.
-
Psychological problems.
-
An environment where food is increasingly plentiful and
available.
-
Genetic predisposition.
-
A Malfunction of "brown fat." While white fat cells store
calories, brown fat gives off calories as heat so that they are not
stored. Normal weight individuals may burn extra calories as heat when
they overheat while obese people may not. This notion is only
tentative.
-
Too high a
"Set Point" The set point determines a certain biological weight for
each individual . It could be lowered through exercise and a
lower fat diet.
The Risks of Being Overweight
People in this country tend to focus on the
cosmetic and "esthetical " facets of "fatness." Often overlooked are the
health related risks of being overweight. These are real and should be a
strong incentive for people to
lose weight.
Can you be Fat and Fit?
According to the U.S. Surgeon's Report on Overweight and Obesity, obesity
and overweight conditions are associated with increased risk of serious
diseases and even premature death. For example, even a small amount of
weight gain (11 to 18 pounds) increases a person's risk of developing Type
II diabetes. While one person may be obese and have no serious health
problems, the evidence shows that weight gain (fat not the fit athletic
muscle weight) is a serious health risk:
-
Any level of obesity is a health risk factor, but a body weight of 20%
or more above desirable weight constitutes a definite health hazard.
-
Obesity is associated with a reduced life expectancy.
-
General risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure and
high blood cholesterol are also associated with being overweight.
-
A weight gain of 10 to 20 pounds is associated with increased risk of
coronary heart disease in both men and women.
-
The prevalence of diabetes is nearly 3 times higher in overweight
persons than in normal weight people.
-
Being overweight also is a risk factor for cancer of the breast, the
uterus, the colon, the rectum and the prostate.
-
Obesity increases stress on the body joints.
-
It heightens the risk of surgery.
The Bright Side
The experts also agreed, that ALL the previous risk factors can be improved
by a reduction in weight.
For example, some scientists have indicated that a 10% weight loss can
result in a 20% reduction in the risks for heart disease. And while it can
be very hard to lose and maintain a large weight loss, the greatest health
benefits seem to occur with the first 10 to 20 pounds of lost weight. This
should be a great incentive for everyone who thinks "it's not worth it!" You
don't have to lose every extra pound to gain the benefits of better health
and improved energy levels.
Taking Action
If you have decided that it's time to lose weight, and you have your own
personal reasons that make this important to you, then it's important to
choose a weight loss method that meets your needs - no program is perfect
for everyone! In evaluating diet/weight control programs there are some
basic recommended strategies:
-
A reasonable initial weight loss goal is to lose about 10% of your
current body weight, if you are overweight.
-
A reasonable amount of time to expect to lose 10% of your body weight is
about six months.
-
A reasonable weekly goal for weight loss is about 1/2 to 2 pounds a
week.
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