Obesity Among Adults and Children - It's Not a Myth!!

Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. If you are obese, you have a much higher amount of body fat than lean muscle mass.Adults with a BMI (Body Mass Index) greater than 30 are considered obese.Anyone more than 100 pounds overweight or with a BMI greater than 40 is considered morbidly obese.

Hello Everyone,

As you read this, it's the start of another baseball season - Go Braves!!

You've probably read and heard a thousand times that Obesity among adults and children is an ongoing problem. If you feel that you don't want to read about it again, that's OK - you can stop reading now. But if you want to learn more, please read on.

Recently I was at church and, after coming back from Communion, I was noticing other members walking back to their seats. I noticed a young woman, maybe in her 30's, with a little girl about 9 years old following close behind. I could see the resemblance....and they were both extremely overweight. I found this to be very disturbing.

Obesity is a very serious problem that affects all ages. It does not discriminate. We are, as a population in this country, way too fat - both adults and children. People are in self denial about this health epidemic. What I often hear is "I'm only 20 pounds overweight." I'm being very conservative at 20 pounds. When I start asking more questions the truth comes out; now I hear it's 50-60 pounds. Most people don't think this is a problem because they walk around seeing many people in the same shape, so they assume this is OK. It's not!

Rates of obesity are climbing. The percentage of children who are overweight has doubled in the last 20 years. The percentage of adolescents who are obese has tripled in the last 20 years.

What causes Obesity? Consuming more calories than you burn leads to being overweight and, eventually, obesity. The body stores unused calories as fat. Obesity can be the result of:

Eating more food than the body can use
Drinking too much alcohol
Not getting enough exercise
Laziness

Certain thyroid problems may also lead to significant weight gain. Genetic factors play some part in the development of obesity -- children of obese parents are 10 times more likely to be obese than children with parents of normal weight.

Obesity is a significant health threat. The extra weight puts unusual stress on all parts of the body. It raises your risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, and gallbladder disease. Conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which were once thought to mainly affect adults, are often seen in children who are obese. Obesity may also increase the risk for some types of cancer. Persons who are obese are more likely to develop osteoarthritis and sleep apnea.

The best thing you can do is avoid obesity from the start. Don't become obese. It's like cigarette smoking; if you don't start, you won't smoke.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends regular physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day. They also recommend an increase in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Decrease consumption of sugar and salt intake.

So, in closing, if you are overweight or out of shape, what are you going to do about it?? For most people, the answer is "Let me think about it".

Very sad.......