A New Look at Fat

January first two thousand and eight. What is your resolution this year? As per custom, people are making resolutions all over the globe. Stop smoking, quit biting your nails, get out of debt, go on a trip, go to church; there are so many different things people may resolve to do this year. This is the year. If you are among the millions of other Americans, losing weight will be at the top of your list. America has recently been declared the fattest nation. Why has obesity become such an epidemic here? Is it the availability of junk food, are all Americans lazy, are we uneducated about the dangerous effects of obesity, or is it the fact that we just accept obesity as a way of life? Ten years ago a size 12 would be plus size, now the new average size of a woman is a size 14. People should not wait until January first to get healthy. It is not necessarily an issue of vanity as to why people should trim their waist lines, people need to understand how unhealthy and dangerous those extra pounds can be. Obesity is a disease and it can be the cause of many, many health problems.

Obesity is a disease

When most people think of obesity they think of fat, but fat and obesity are two different things. First of all fat is a critical part of our body (Encarta msn). We need fat to live. Fat has several necessary functions. It gives us the energy we need to function daily. Fat also provides insulation and protection for our internal organs (Encarta msn). In the animal kingdom they look at fat in a totally different light. Bears need fat for their long hibernation. Penguins also store up on fat for their 40 mile trek to their breeding grounds. Animals such as seals and whales need lots of fat to protect their bodies from the frigid artic seas. So if we were animals, America would be in pretty good shape right now. Unfortunately, fat plays a little bit differently in our bodies.Public health officials say that obesity has become an epidemic in America (Encarta msn). Adults are getting fatter and naturally their kids are getting fatter. a lot is blamed on how we teach our kids in this day and age and also how society views fat people now. Society says it is okay to be fat and actually makes it a lot easier to be fat. There is a fast food restaurant every time we turn around offering their calorie filled food for a dollar. In many high schools physical education is not offered after eighth grade. So our children are taught to eat badly and not exercise at a very young age. In the united states, 31 % of the population is obese (Encarta msn). In 1980, 15% of adults were obese. Children aged 2-5 years, were at 5.0 %, aged 6-11 years were at 6.5%, and aged 12-19 years were at 5.0%. A similar survey in 2004 showed that he percent of obese adults went up to 32.9 %, kids aged 2-5 years went up to 13.9% , kids aged 6-11 years went up to 18.8 %, and kids aged 12-19 years went up to 17.4%. (cdc msn) . So that means from 1980 to 2004 obesity in American adults doubles and in children it almost tripled. (Encarta msn). That is a lot!In the medical world they commonly measure a person's obesity levels by the body mass index or BMI. BMI is an adult's weight in relation to their height. It is calculated metrically as weight divided by height squared. (Encarta msn). A BMI only provides a rough estimate of desired body weight (Encarta msn). For instance, take someone who has a lot of muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so going on weight alone this person will have a high BMI but not have a lot of fat. (Encarta msn). Like any rule, there are expectations, but in general the higher the BMI the higher the obesity level. A BMI below 18.5 is underweight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 means a person is overweight. A BMI of 30.0 and above is considered obese in the medical world. (realize band.com). So what is your BMI?

Risk of associated disease according to BMI and waist sizeBMI Waist less than or equal to 40 in.(men) or 35 in. (woman) Waist greater than 40 in (men) or 35 in (woman):

18.5 or less underweight -- n/a
18.5 - 24.9 normal -- n/a
25.0 - 29.9 overweight increased high
30.0 - 34.9 obese high Very high
35.0 - 39.9 obese Very high Very high
40 or greater Extremely obese Extremely high Extremely high

So now you know if you are just fat or obese. It sounds like such an ugly word- obese. But actually what are the ugly effects of being obese? Strictly medically speaking, the list goes on and on. To name a few, obesity can be linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, depression, cancer, acid reflex, and even reproductive issues. (realize band.com). Yes, it is true. It is harder for obese women to become pregnant and carry a baby full term. The numbers and statistics that link obesity with life threatening diseases are staggering. 70 % of all heart disease can be linked to excess body fat. (Encarta msn). An obese person is more than twice as likely to develop hypertension. (Encarta msn). Obese women are two times more likely to get breast cancer and there is a 42 % higher chance of developing colorectal cancer. (Encarta msn). 80% of people with diabetes are obese (Encarta msn). I doubt if these statistics are just coincidental. Our bodies just are not made for all that excess fat. They start to go a little hay wire when we abuse them too much. Can you imagine how much harder a person's ankles and legs have to work when we force them to carry so much extra weight?So why do people become so overweight? There are, of course, biological factors and genetic makeup that can affect a person's weight. Some people do have more fat cells in their bodies which can make them become fatter. (Encarta msn). A person's genetics can also account for those meaty abs. There was a study done in 1986 that showed that a child who was adopted actually grew to be obese like her biological parents rather than thin as her adoptive parents. (Encarta msn). But probably the biggest cause of your obesity is lifestyle. People just don't exercise and eat too many calories. A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy value of food and the energy used by the body to maintain normal functions. (Encarta msn). If a person takes in the same amount of calories as the body uses, their weight remains constant. So naturally, if a person takes in more calories than their body uses, the weight starts to add on. More specifically, if the calorie intake is 3.500 more calories than the body uses it results in a gain of 1 pound of fat. (Encarta msn). Where would you like your fat? On your thighs or abs?

The treatment for obesity might be simple or complex. Losing weight might be the hardest thing to do. For some people, their obesity can control everything they do. They can become so obese that even walking to the bathroom can be an ordeal. So for some surgery is the answer. They have what is called gastric bypass. In this surgery, the patient's stomach is reduced to the size of a chicken's egg. (Encarta msn). This is only for very severe cases of obesity. Most people just need some diet and exercise to get control of their weight.

The course of the yo-yo diet

There are almost as many diets out there as there are words in the English language. So which diet do you choose? And in comes the yo-yo diet. This term refers to the diets that promise fast weight loss and then the dieter just gains all the weight back within a couple weeks. A lot of the times you get more than you lost. People like to try the yo-yo diets though because everyone wants a miracle cure to obesity. What people don't realize is that weight control is a lifestyle change, not a diet. Diets don't work.

Weight control

Basically, the right way to lose weight is to burn off more calories than you take in. weight comes off in the same way it went on. If you burn off 3,500 more calories than you take in, it results in one pound of weight loss. That sounds slot better than one pound of fat gain. Keep track of the calories you put in your body. Here are some ways to burn calories.

Tap your fingers/ swing your foot - dozens of calories burned
Make your bed - about 17 calories burned
Chew gum - 11 calories burned per hour
Iron clothes - 155 calories burned per hour
Play with Fido - 272 calories burned per hour
Garden - 272 calories burned per hour
Pace while on phone - 136 calories burned per hour
Stand - 136 calories burned per hour
Bicycling - 320 calories burned per hour
Running - 880 calories burned per hour
Jumping rope - 1,000 calories burned per hour
Swimming - 370 calories burned per hour
Tennis - 530 calories burned per hour
Walking - 420 calories burned per hour

Whether it is by surgery, diet pills, or a healthier diet, getting to and maintaining a healthy weight is important. Not getting control of your weight lets your weight get control of you.