Obesity Identification and Prevention

One of the most prevalent problems that affects around 40% of the U.S. population is obesity. Most people associate obesity with being overweight, however, overweight and obese are two complete different categories all together. What is obesity? Obesity is determined through the body mass index (BMI) which is the assessment of a person’s weight expressed through kilograms. The BMI chart takes into account your height versus how much you weigh. Check out a Body Mass Index Chart and see what category you fall into.

Obesity can result from a number of causes, such as poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and even genetics. What this disease can cause is even worse; from a number of different diseases, the most worrisome are heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Why do so many people suffer from this horrible disease? Why is it that over the years, the United States has steadily increased in the percentage of obese Americans? You look around and there are countless reasons such as the increase in the number of fast food restaurants and the growing dependency on modern technology, to make our day-to-day life easier. While this is all well and good, moderation of these luxuries is key. A few steps you and your family can take to beat obesity:

• Healthy eating: Having a nutritious diet is key to maintaining a healthy weight. One of the biggest misconceptions of healthy eating is when we go out to dine. People think that what they eat is healthy when they go to restaurants because it looks like it, because there are a lot of vegetables, or because it is a salad. But that is not always the case. In fact, a lot of the time, those ‘healthy’ meals are worse for you than you think. Today, a lot of restaurants have an online presence. If you are going to go out, check out their nutritional information on each meal first. Moderating your restaurant dinners is critical and can make a huge difference. Reducing your fat and sugar intake is one of the key ways of preventing obesity.
• Active lifestyle: One of the biggest causes of obesity is the sedentary lifestyle that a lot of us lead. Most adults are confined to their cubicles all day at work, leaving them with little or no energy to hit the gym at the end of the day. But making small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going for a walk once you get home can help prevent obesity. Obviously, going to the gym is ideal and a target everyone should strive for.
• Healthy Environment: The environment people have around them really affects the habits an adult or child picks up on. Surrounding oneself with positive motivation, healthy eating, and exercising will influence the day-to-day habits of the kids as well.

Believe it or not, the obesity rate among children has been steadily growing over the years. Obesity in children is a great concern because if nothing is done at this young age, these obese children might later suffer from more serious diseases. Keeping kids active and healthy is very hard, especially if they’re genetically prone to putting on weight. Getting them involved in sports is a great way to keep their exercise level up and metabolism strong. Eating healthy is, once again, a key factor to watch. Not having them eat any fast food at all may not be possible, so moderating their food intake is essential. They are kids and are going to eat some unhealthy food, but moderating it and getting them involved in exercise can help a lot.

Want to see if you need to step up your day-to-day lifestyle? Calculate your body mass index with a BMI calculator.