Americans are eating themselves to death. Obesity is on the rise. More people eat too much, get too little exercise, and suffer a variety of health problems as a result. We've seen virtually a doubling in the number of obese persons over the past two decades, and an alarming increase in the number of obese children (Rollnick, 20).
Many people wage a lifelong fight against fat. Some are successful, but many are not. American society seems to be stacking the deck against them, with the prevalence of "super sized" fast-food meals, sedentary lifestyles, quick-fix weight loss plans, and confusing — sometimes conflicting — information about exercise and nutrition.
According to the latest data, nearly 66 million American adults exceed the healthy weight range defined by the U.S. dietary guidelines. Obesity is defined simply as an excess of body fat. Your body is made up of water, fat, proteins, carbohydrates and various vitamins and minerals. If you have too much fat, especially if a lot of the fat is located in your waist area, you are at higher risk for health problems, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Obesity is now recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack. Some of the reasons for this higher risk are known, but others are not. For example, obesity: (Rollnick, 21)
- Raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- Lowers HDL (the "good" cholesterol linked with lower risk)
- Raises blood pressure
- Can induce diabetes
Obesity is caused mainly by taking in too many calories and not getting enough exercise. Losing excess weight is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart problems and other diseases. On the other hand Employers, concerned over the growing costs of their employees' obesity, are getting much more aggressive about..................
