Obesity

"As a nation, we need to respond as vigorously to this (obesity) epidemic as we do to an infectious disease epidemic…National efforts are needed to encourage physical activity and better nutrition and to conduct research to identify effective educational, behavioral, and environmental approaches to control and prevent obesity."

Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan, Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

It would appear that the information age, fast food, and modern conveniences have turned us into a nation of chubbies. Not all of us are plumping up, but six out of ten are overweight, in fact many of us are…gulp…obese. Sitting at computers, super-sizing at the fast food drive-thru, and wheeling our way everywhere has contributed to a full-blown obesity epidemic in this country. How in the heck did this happen? Experts point to lack of exercise, stress, and poor nutrition as three of the main culprits. Research also targets genetic makeup as a heavy-hitting contributory factor. Remember the thin mouse-fat mouse experiment and findings? Even the best of intentions and discipline can go awry. Let's admit it, every January 1st most of us commit to making a change in our diet, exercise regimen, and stress coping skills, but by April 15th these resolutions disappear along with our tax contributions.

Aside from the obvious cosmetic benefits of losing weight and exercising, why does it make sense to commit to a healthy living plan that includes comprehensive fitness, nutrition, and stress reduction? Alarming new statistics and health alerts released in the first four months of 2002 indicate that 17 million Americans have Type II diabetes, and 16 million more are at risk of developing the disease. High cholesterol readings, not only in adults, but also in teens and children are raising red flags that suggest that an increase in the incidence of heart disease and stroke may be on the horizon. According to data collected from the Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2010 initiative, heart disease continues to be the number one killer of American men and women. All of these health risks are directly associated with being overweight, and or obese.

"Obesity has roughly the same association with chronic health conditions as does twenty years' aging; this greatly exceeds the associations of smoking or problem drinking. Utilization effects mirrors the health effects. Obesity is associated with 36 percent increase in inpatient and outpatient spending and a 77 percent increase in medications, compared with a 21 percent increase in inpatient and outpatient spending and a 28 percent increase in medications for current smokers and smaller effects for problem drinkers. Nevertheless, the latter two groups have received more consistent attention in recent decades in clinical practice." Sturm, Roland. DataWatch: The Effects of Obesity, Smoking, and Drinking on Medical Problems and Costs. Health Affairs.

How long has it been since you took a look at your health risk status? Check out this health risk appraisal tool and find out how well you are taking charge of your health-for-life plan. If you have a fitness question, click on the H4H "Ask Lucy" column for some free, expert advice. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid offers sensible guidance on daily nutrition for adults and kids. Take the mind mirror quiz and find stress reduction techniques in the Mind section of the web site.

Resources:

New Federal Obesity Guidelines
New Federal Cholesterol Screening Guidelines
New Federal Diabetes Guidelines