American Obesity:An Important Issue

American health is in trouble because of eating fast food, packaged, processed and refined foods daily. Obesity has not only affected America's waistline, but has contributed to serious illness and early death for thousands of people. Obesity is strongly associated with multiple chronic conditions, like heart disease, stroke, some tpyes of cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. Other conditions, such as depression, sleep apnea, asthma, arthritis, can be attributed to obesity as well. The main causes of obesity are sedentary lifestyles and high fat, energy dense diets. Obesity is affecting every man, women, and child regardless of age, race or religion.

Obestiy may soon overtake tobacco as the number one factor in people's deaths. One hundred twenty-eight million Americans over the age of 20 are overweight. Weight is largely determined by how you balance your intake of calories from food with the energy you use in everyday activities. If you consume more calories than you use, you gain weight. Eating too many calories daily and not getting enough physical activity are also causes of obesity. Another reason we're seeing this rise in obesity, is that the first generation of adults that has had access to processed foods starting childhood. But the problem is not just about calories and fat, unfortunately exercise levels have dropped off dramatically since then, and school physcial education programs are being cut. The increasing obesity epidemic has gotten so out of control that we now have gastric bypass surgery, even though the surgery is extremely serious and alot of times life threatening.

Becoming a healthier person isn't just about eating healthy, it's about physical activity. Learn how many calories to consume in one day, there is a right number for you to eat each day. This number depends on age, and activity level. Limit your dietary fat intake to less than 30 percent of your total calories, saturated fat should be less than 10 percent. Avoid all trans fatty acids, such as hydrogenated fats. Exersice like sports, walking, hiking, dancing, running just get your body moving. Keep in mind that two-thirds of American adults are over weight. Obesity is not just a cosmetic concern, it's also a major health risk. The Great thing about this is that it is a cure, a modest weight loss can bring wonderful health improvements. Losing weight can be accomplished by eating a healthier diet, regular exercise, and changing your behavior. America together as a whole we can beat this epidemic.