Childhood Obesity

There is a lot of talk these days about childhood obesity and why it seems that today's children are more overweight than the previous generations. There are a lot of factors that play into why this may be the reason and I'm sure some of them you may have heard from the media.

The fact of the matter is we live in a different time and nothing remains to be stagnant. The priorities of families have changed and how we spend our time has changed as well. We don't look at time the same way we used and money as well. With this in mind it reflects the appearance on our bodies.

Everyone knows that eating at McDonald's could be the cause of childhood obesity, and it's simple to say that's the problem. But there is so much more to it than just that. What I see as a major contributor to obesity in children and adults is "lack of time". Today people are so busy and they just aren't taking the "time" that's needed to prepare a healthy dinner. We are all on the run and it's so easy to just pick-up a cheeseburger at the local McDonald's. Besides you must think maybe that's what my child really wants Well, yes and no. Of course your child wants some French fries but is it good for them? No. A French fry here or there will not hurt but a regular diet of McDonald's will hurt.

The United State takes less time in enjoying the occasion, it's just so quick and easy to eat and go.

Another factor that is causing obesity is the quality of food in our school systems. Canned this and that with sugar in it, canned veggies, fried chicken nuggets, soda machines in the hallway. All of this stuff almost seems normal. No, it's not acceptable to have soda in school and junk food. Pizza day on Friday, seems like pizza day everyday. Fresh fruits and veggies should be the choice and the healthy alternative.

The third reason for obesity is the lack of physical exercise. In the last decade children have increased the amount of time they online and watching TV. They have reduced the time spent burning calories. So even if you eat a chicken nugget you have just avoided the ability to burn off the calories. Fresh air and exercise are important every day for adults and children as well.

So the next time you wish to have that cheeseburger, think about having an apple with some peanut butter dip. Get out every day for some exercise which gives you the opportunity to burn off calories.

By: Christine Groth

Labels: child obesity, childhood obesity, obese, obesity, obesity child, obesity childhood, obesity children, obesity statistics, obesity the

Most people did not know much about obesity. For them, obesity goes no deeper than a less than fashionable look, but the fact is, obesity is an epidemic, a disease spread fast in our world these days, across both the industrialized world and emerging economies.

What is obesity? Obesity means having too much energy that will become fat after you eating foods, on your body. Obesity puts a strain on joints and bones that have to sustain more weight than ever before, which leads to arthritis in the future. The weight also tends to make people lazier. It means more weight put on your body.

There are so many high cholesterol foods in our world. The lack of activity and high cholesterol brought by eating too much of the wrong food will impair the proper functioning of your heart and blood vessels. This caused high blood pressure, stroke and other blood and heart conditions. Excess fat also leads cessation of breathing during sleep, called apnea.

I know with patience and effort, we can cure obesity. As this diseases caused by obesity spreads over the land, so do the efforts for curing it increase. Read my review in my website to know more.

Now we should talk about how to recognizing obesity, shall we?

The definition of obesity is a BMI (body mass index) of above 30. What is BMI? BMI is a measure of a person’s weight scaled according to height. This index serves to show the amount of fat stored on your body, and if your BMI is higher than 30, the worst is your exposure to certain diseases.

Many weight loss experts also warn that having a lot of fat stored around your waist increases the risk of developing diseases. Going beyond size 40 in men and size 35 in women means only trouble for your body in the future.

Anyway, unhealthy eating combined with sustained lack of activity caused obesity. When you are eating too much food, food will give more calories than your body need.

Eating habits are the first reason why people became obese. Lack of activity is the second reason. With neither the time, nor the inclination to control one’s meals, it is no wonder people get fat all over the world, everywhere. About lack of activity, it is different from the past where people walking to go working. Now most people using car for transportation.

Obesity, unfortunately, also be inherited from family members who suffered from it. If your family has a history of obesity, then you would do well to watch your weight problem.

About Fast Foods, what do you think?

I am busy and you are busy, I know that. But do not let this change your eating habits. This does not mean that we have to eat everything fast food restaurants put before you. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, etc. may look good, but they are fat too highly powered got your health. The problem is, a single burger is worth a whole meal, but your stomach will never filled by a regular burger, so it will keep asking for more, and you will eat more burgers despite the fact that your body does not need more burgers.

Many people try diets and fitness programs to lose a few pounds but when they hungry, they are returning to the old lifestyle and eating habits. It means that weight lost turns into weight regained and your body gets used to these lean times and it will harder for you to lose weight.

So what I need to do?

To all this you may add that following a diet for a longer period is hard, because you will always crave the forbidden foods. The fact that certain delicious foods are forbidden makes them that much more attractive. I know that. You need a successful diet. A successful diet means adjusting your lifestyle to your needs, especially by making time for more exercising. Please don’t forget to control your eating habits. It is very important. However, you may need a natural weight loss pills to help you lose unwanted pounds.

By Ruddy Gunawan

Labels: child obesity, childhood obesity, obese, obesity, obesity child, obesity childhood, obesity children, obesity statistics, obesity the, overweight

Far and away, the most common cause for obesity is unhealthy eating habits combined with an overall lack of any type of physical activity. If the food that you consume results in in taking more calories than you burn, you body opens up the ol' store room and puts it away as fat.

Very basic, simplified concept... but that's the bottom line.

Bad eating habits are by far the number one reason why people head down the path to obesity. With today's emphasis on time and convenience when it comes to eating and planning one's meals it is no wonder at all that obesity is propagating throughout the entire world. And that's just the diet side of the equation... throw in the fact that with all of today's other conveniences, people get less and less activity in their daily routine and you've got a world wide health issue developing.

When it comes to genetics; you can be more naturally susceptible to obesity and being overweight if it runs in the family. But having said this, it is still up to you to control your eating habits and your lifestyle in order to effectively keep obesity at bay.

As I mentioned just a bit early, personal time and convenience combined together more often than not add up to junk food. If you find that you are eating out more than you should, you should start looking at what you are about to eat. For instance, fast food and restaurant food's portioning are usually way more than your body needs... not to mention the type of food. A single burger in and of itself is a complete meal as far as your body is concerned because of the fat and calories involved. The problem is your stomach will not 'feel' full after consuming but one singe burger... so it cries out for more... regardless of the fact that your body is at it's maximum. If you want more volume... eat healthier foods to begin with.

Changing your eating habits is a much better mind set to get into than 'dieting'. The problem with the 'dieting' mentality is that most people will tend to lose a few pounds on their latest 'diet' but return to their old destructive eating habits once they get bored or constantly inconvenienced with the diet. Then to add another layer of difficulty, once you go from diet to diet restricting your body from nutrients; your body will go into a defensive mode storing everything that it possibly can and make it even more difficult for you to lose weight.

Any successful 'diet' is actually a successful 'lifestyle' change... which by the way includes exercise. Forbidding yourself from certain foods that you enjoy immensely just makes them all the more attractive to you.

So, think lifestyle and not so much diet. Work to eat healthier, and keep those 'forbidden' foods moderated and proportioned... and get some regular exercise. Not only does exercise withdraw those calories from your body's storage bank; but you'll feel better, reduce your boredom, your stress level, and those cravings.

By Jeff Foster

Labels: child obesity, childhood obesity, obese, obesity, obesity child, obesity childhood, obesity children, obesity statistics, obesity the, overweight

Obesity help can come in many shapes and sizes. Family embers and friends can lodge their support by dieting with you or helping you to diet alone. Doctors can help by referring you to a nutritionist and prescribing you some appetite suppressants (also known as diet pills, be wary of them). Nutritionists will help you by coming up with a diet plan which you abide by and then concentrating on an exercise routine when you can manage one.

Another new way to help people suffering from obesity is to perform surgical procedures such as extensive gastric bypass; where portions of the stomach are removed, gastric banding; placing what seems like an elastic band around your stomach, panniculectomy; removing pieces of stomach (also known as a tummy tuck). These are just some of the procedures available and are only for use in drastic times. Many people can loose weight without these operations and therefore do not need to put themselves through a lot of pain which is consistent with each of these operations.

When accepting help for your obesity make sure it is a plan that you will stick to and work for as motivation does decrease very quickly, a lot of weight falls of at the beginning but when the first initial few weeks are past the weight will fall of slowly and you will start to get cravings so that needs to be taken into consideration and whatever you do don’t attempt a quick fix fad diet all they will do is mess up your insides. The best way to loose weight is to eat properly and sensibly.

Obesity help is available all around you; there are adverts on the television, books, videos and programmes to help people who have problems loosing weight. Why not join a slimming class? That way you are not alone in our efforts and you meet people in the same position as you. Slimming groups tend to follow healthy eating programmes and have a weight in every couple of weeks so you can keep record o how well you are doing! They then reward people with certificates to keep for loosing weight; these certificates offer a big motivational surge and help you to keep on going.

Don’t let others get you down by saying “oh you’ve not lost that much” keep your spirits high by telling yourself that at least you have lost something and you have dedicated yourself and put in a lot of effort, by doing so you will continue the chain of weight loss and inevitably make you feel a lot better!

By Rick McManus

Labels: child obesity, childhood obesity, obese, obesity, obesity child, obesity childhood, obesity children obesity america, obesity statistics, obesity the, overweight

If you thought being obese is being the target of fun, it only tells the part of the story about dangers and predicaments obesity exposes you to. Obesity is no more a simple result of overeating-lead-to-overweight case. To quote the American Obesity Association’s words, “It is now recognized that obesity is a serious, chronic disease. No human condition — not race, religion, gender, ethnicity or disease state — compares to obesity in prevalence and prejudice, mortality and morbidity, sickness and stigma.”

Obesity is a trojan horse. It brings a battalion of ailments, which are most detrimental to our health. To name a few, following are the complications that could arise out being obese.

1. Hypertension

2. Diabetes (Type-2)

3. Coronary heart disease

4. Stroke

5. Gallbladder disease

6. Osteoarthritis

7. Asthma

8. Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

9. Some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon)

10.High levels of cholesterol

This is an unending list, where each of the above ailments are capable of creating other complications, where no medication without side effect, could be comfortably used. Prevention is the best cure for obesity. How to achieve this?

Shake Your Head

A doctor once told my friend, who is obese that it is very easy to lose weight. My friend became very interested and asked him to suggest a way. The doctor calmly replied that just shake your head from left to right, maybe ten times a day! My friend became very curious. What is the idea behind this? He asked. Doctor calmly replied, "Whenever anyone offers you something to eat, shake your head from left to right". Simple, isn't it? It is simple, but it requires discipline, which is not simple. But then, habit makes discipline. Avoiding junk food and fast food must be done with a discipline.

Is Being Overweight Obesity

Obesity is not just due to eating disorder unlike overweight. Obesity is hereditary and it is measured by Body Mass Index or BMI. Adults over the BMI of 30 Kg/m2 is considered are considered obese and any one with reading between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 is overweight, not obese.

Obesity is posing the biggest threat to Americans and the numbers are rising with each year. There are around 35% obese Americans according to a survey. This is also draining the state exchequer heavily to the tune of $25 billions a year.

What Causes Obesity

There are more reasons than one. Having obsession to eating more calories than you can burn off, how active are you, what you eat and whether you have an inherited streak in your genes, all these determine your chances of becoming obese. In any case it is due to the over accumulation of fats.

Is There An Anti-Obesity Plan?

There are many quick-fix plans being promoted by the so called dietitians which are not regulated by FDA. However, burning fat by increased physical activity and a changed lifestyle in addition to changed eating habits to healthier foods must gradually show results.

Although fat at hips is not quicker to harm you than the accumulation around waist, there is no guarantee that you are absolutely safe. Talk to your trainer and dietitian, pull-up your socks and get going. After all, it’s your life.

By Alan Ross

Labels: child obesity, childhood obesity, obese, obesity, obesity america, obesity child, obesity childhood, obesity children, obesity statistics, obesity the

Obesity is a growing problem in the U.S. and around the world. Obesity causes many health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and several kinds of cancer. It is thought that the Mediterranean-style diet (a diet that includes fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, fish, olive oil, and other foods) may help people maintain a healthy weight and avoid health problems related to obesity.

The Mediterranean diet is a healthy way to eat and contains essential nutrients in healthy quantities that can help a person avoid becoming obese. Studies have shown those participants who stuck to a Mediterranean diet, the lower their body mass index was and the lower their risk of becoming obese.

There's no one "Mediterranean" diet. At least 16 countries border the Mediterranean Sea. Diets vary between these countries and also between regions within a country. Many differences in culture, ethnic background, religion, economy and agricultural production result in different diets. But the common Mediterranean dietary pattern has certain characteristics that include:

• high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds

• olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source

• dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten

• eggs are consumed zero to four times a week

• wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts

People who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. In fact, saturated fat consumption is well within our dietary guidelines. More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.

The incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. Death rates are lower, too. But this may not be entirely due to the diet. Lifestyle factors (such as more physical activity and extended social support systems) may also play a part.

The Sonoma Diet is based on a Mediterranean diet plan where a person learns how to eat well and get fit. They provide hundreds of recipes, many tools and specific advice to help with your weight loss success. Plus the Sonoma Diet has recently launched a brand new online diet plan specifically meant to trim your waist. There are a number of advantages with the Sonoma Diet one is that you can start seeing results in less than 10 days. Another advantages is wine!

They provide hundreds of recipes, many tools and specific advice to help with your weight loss success. Plus the Sonoma Diet has recently launched a brand new online diet plan specifically meant to trim your waist.

By Joan Martin

Labels: child obesity, childhood obesity, obese, obesity, obesity child, obesity childhood, obesity children, obesity epidemic, obesity statistics, obesity the, overweight

What causes obesity?

There is no simple answer.

Basically, a person becomes obese when more calories are consumed than he or she can burn. This is called “calorie imbalance.” Beyond this simple definition, the factors that cause obesity are varied and many.

Calorie imbalance has many things that affect it. What causes this imbalance varies from one person to another. We also know obesity is more than just over-eating. Genetic, environmental, psychological, and other factors seem to play big roles in causing obesity.

Here are some factors that have been attributed to obesity:

1. Weight Gain During Certain Periods

A person commonly gains more weight during the following periods of life: between 12 and 18 months of age, between 12 and 16 years of age, adulthood when a person gains in excess of 60% of their ideal body weight and women, during pregnancy.

2. Genetic Factors

Heredity is linked to obesity. Studies of adopted children show that adopted children tend to have weights closer to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents.

3. Environmental Factors

Environment also strongly influences obesity. This includes lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats and level of physical activity. The tendency to eat high-fat foods, to use labor saving devices coupled with a sedentary lifestyle are causes behind obesity.

4. Psychological Factors

Many people eat when they are stressed, bored or angry. Over time, the association between an emotion and food can become firmly fixed.

Depression and stress can also lead to obesity and are leading causes of eating disorders. Studies show most overweight people have no more psychological problems than people of average weight.

Most eating disorders can also be traced to behavioral or psychological difficulties. Up to 10 percent of people who are mildly obese and who try to lose weight on their own or through commercial weight loss programs have binge eating disorder. This disorder is even more common in people who are severely obese.

5. Age

Metabolism slows down with advancing age. As you get older you do not require as many calories to maintain your weight as you did when you were younger.

If you know about these factors you are in a better position to cope with the life cycles and manage your weight without getting into the problems of obesity.

By JM Jackson

Labels: child obesity, childhood obesity, obese, obesity, obesity america, obesity child, obesity childhood, obesity children, obesity statistics, obesity the