Obese Outnumber Overweight in US
Well, this really isn’t good news for us here in the US. 34% of us have a BMI greater than 30. This basically means that 2 out of 3 of us are obese or overweight, and that is staggering and very disturbing. We thought for a while that we had this national crisis under control, especially with the advent of so many new diet programs, diet and fitness education and building awareness, and the ever present focus of body, well being and health in the media and in our entertainment.
You’d think after all the bruhaha about weight and obesity, our numbers would have improved, however just the opposite has happened, and we find that we are in big trouble now as far as weight loss and maintenance go.
There are also numerous programs trying to nip the obesity epidemic in the bud so to speak, with children being educated and molded from an earlier age on how to eat right, school cafeterias basically banning foods that are without nutrition, high in fat and carbs and sugar, and gym classes being upped to actual physical activity instead of kids sitting their way through the whole class.
One of the main problems, I personally feel, is the hustle and bustle nature of our society. Pair this with the increasing popularity of fast foods and easy to prepare, totally processed foods that don’t fill you up or leave you satisfied, yet are sky high in calories, carbs, fat and sugars, and you’ve got a full blown problem on your hands that doesn’t have a quick overnight solution.
Also, the problem is that many are looking for a magic diet pill or something that will take the weight off without any real hard work or sacrifice, but even if you are taking a prescription drug such as Xenical or Orlistat (the nonprescription version of this is Ali, the one that causes the gastrointestinal discomfort if you overeat fat), when in fact, even if you are taking the highest quality herbal diet pills or prescription weight loss meds, you still need to modify your dietary intake, your exercise habits and your motivation to actually see long term results. That comes from within.
Too many people have come to rely on quick fixes, and it really takes determination and willpower, and a desire to actually be healthy consistently, for the rest of your life, to stay on track and not gain weight throughout life. Some say “oh, you gain weight with age, there’s nothing you can do about it”. This attitude is exactly why so many are suffering obesity and thinking that it’s beyond their control.
You can actually help to reverse the aging process if you do begin eating right, so this is a falsehood, although admittedly the metabolism does tend to slow a bit in most of us as we age, that’s why we need less food and less sleep as well though – it’s all about modification as we get older.
