The Solution to Healthy Weight Loss
 by: Marilyn Pokorney
The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide
problem. There are no official statistics for spending on diet products,
but estimates vary from $40 to $100 billion in the US alone, much
of that on scams and fad diets that promise the impossible.
Research shows that 95% of people who have lost weight
find that they regain it back when they return to their normal eating
habits.
According to the Center for Disease Control's Chronic
Disease Center, in 1991 in the United States, only four states had
an obesity prevalence of 15 percent to 19 percent. In 2003, 15 states
had an obesity prevalence of 15 to 19 percent, 31 states had an obesity
prevalence of 20 to 24 percent, and four states had a prevalence of
25 percent or more.
Major medical problems associated with obesity include
gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,
diabetes, and osteoarthritis.
If that isn't incentive enough to lose that excess
weight statistics show that overweight people are usually given lower
paying jobs, get lower salaries, receive little in raises, and are,
as a whole, looked down upon by 40 percent of fellow employees and
employers.
In 2002 The American Heart Association reported that
more than 10 percent of US children ages 2 to 5 are overweight. That
is up from 7 percent in 1994. The situation is probably even worse
now, said Dr. Robert H. Eckel, president-elect of the heart association
and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado.
The obesity problem among children has increased
with school-age children as well. Four million children ages 6 to
11 and 5.3 million in age group 12 to 19 have increased by 75 percent
from 1991.
Food habits adopted in childhood can be hard to change.
As a result hypertension and high cholesterol leading to heart disease,
strokes, and diabetes are going to become the nations top health problem
with people of all ages within 10 to 30 years. These are ailments
that usually afflict the middle age to elderly population. More than
a million new cases of diabetes are already being diagnosed each year,
says the American Diabetic Association.
Nearly 30 percent of American adults are overweight
and another 30 percent are obese, according to University of Minnesota
researchers. Obesity is usually described as a weight 20 percent greater
than the persons desirable weight.
A study by the Obstetrics and Gynecology department
at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle revealed
that 60% of overweight women, and 70% of obese women, are likely to
become pregnant while taking the pill. The researchers suggest that
a higher metabolism is the reason, causing the medication to be effective
for a shorter length of time. Or, that the drug interacts with the
body's hormones in a way that the drug becomes trapped in the body
fat instead of circulating in the bloodstream.
Studies with obese pregnant women show they are 50%
more likely to die during pregnancy than those of normal weight. Complications
such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia,
pre-term labor, and stillbirth are also more common. Preliminary evidence
shows that babies are also adversely affected, and are more likely
to be obese themselves in later life.
Fast foods: Studies show that people who frequent
fast food outlets twice a week or more gained 36 pounds over the course
of 15 years compared to 26 pounds for those that frequented them once
a week or less.
A major factor for the obesity crisis is a sedentary
lifestyle, not enough exercise, and the eating of high calorie fast
foods in place of nutritious natural food products.
Fast food is designed to promote consumption of the
maximum number of calories in the minimum amount of time. This upsets
the body's normal metabolism. One solution is to eat smaller, more
nutritious, meals more frequently throughout the day.
Physical activity reduces the effects of being overweight,
but healthy eating habits have to be followed to prevent disease associated
with poor nutrition according to an expert of nutrition and epidemiology
at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The new diet guidelines set by the Health and Human
Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is basically a balanced
diet and good old fashioned exercise. They stress more fruits, vegetables,
whole grains and limit fats, sugar, alcohol, and salt.
Many supermarkets are open 24 hours a day making
a choice of healthy food available at all times.
For more tips on how to lose weight safely see The
Secret to Weight Loss at: http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/diettips.htm
Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney
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About The Author
Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
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