Obesity: Statistics Speak for Themselves

There is a tremendous discussion going on in the media across the globe about losing weight. Each story the media brings seems to bear conflicting information and it’s small wonder that people are confused about what’s healthy, what’s junk food and what’s not. Having said that, there are growing concerns worldwide about obesity. The statistics speak for themselves.

Approximately 280,000 adult deaths in the United States alone are attributed to obesity annually, compared to 35,000 deaths due to guns, and 25,000 due to car accidents, in other words it looks like the foods we eat by our own selection or choosing, kill far more of us than guns and automobiles combined.

Overweight individuals have an increased risk of developing one or more of the following conditions:

• heart disease and stroke
• hypertension
• non-insulin dependent or type 2 diabetes
• osteo-arthritis
• sleep apnea and other breathing problems

The 1996 Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health shows that more than 60 percent of adults are not participating in the recommended 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity most days of the week. The report stresses that physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve health benefits. As recently as 1990, 10 percent or fewer adult residents (in certain States) were obese now report levels doubling this. In the latest edition, three States estimate that a third of all adults are obese.

Many believe this problem is tied to increased consumption of snacks, soft drinks, and fast foods, increased sedentary activities – such as watching TV and playing video games – and decreased opportunities for exercise and physical activity.[32]

Renewed emphasis on academic achievement in the educational system has reduced the time and space available for active play as well as for structured physical education. Long workdays and single parent households limit time for physical activity.[33]

The state action plan addresses six key interventions: increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, increase physical activity, increase breastfeeding, other dietary concerns, decrease TV/computer screen time and parental involvement.[34]

And while most of the major preventable causes of death showed declines or little change since 1990, deaths due to poor diet and physical inactivity increased 33 percent.

Diabetes is another of those unfortunate circumstances which has brought about drastic changes for 150 million people around the world. What is even worse, the number of sufferers is expected to grow each year. Diabetes is another disease of the affluent and reducing obesity can control the risk.

Obesity doesn’t happen overnight, it happens over time, when the energy we take in by eating is out of balance with the energy we burn doing physical activity. There are things we can do to prevent overweight and obesity, but perhaps these people are in need of not only regular exercise. A situation, a trauma, buried so deep – can cause any amount of heaven knows what kind of psychological problem inside us, that drives us on the one hand to withdraw and comfort ourselves and on the other to destroy ourselves in this way.

30 minutes most days of the week is good, and will help to prevent and treat obesity. Keep it fun and safe. Physical activity does not need to be strenuous – it just has to be for us to enjoy a long and quality filled life.

[32] http://assembly.state.ny.us/member_files/051/20030716/
[33] http://www.dhs.ca.gov/cdic/copi/html/problem.htm
[34] http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/ach/ns/cdc+obesity+grant.htm