OBESITY

OBESITY

It seems that every time we turn on the TV we hear news about the increase in diabetes in the America. It should come as no surprise that one of the major causes for the increase in diabetes is due to the obesity problem. Not only is obesity causing an upturn in diabetes, but it also contributes to heart disease, strokes and heart attacks. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that cases of diabetes have skyrocketed in the past several years. What is the number one reason for this? Obesity.

Obesity is a major problem with it affecting children as well as adults. Obesity is when there is too much stored in the body's fatty tissues. When this excess increases, there is a corresponding increase to other medical risk as well. Some of these medical risks have the possibility to be life threatening.

The severity of obesity is measured through body mass index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by dividing the person's weight by the square of their height. (This measurement is done in metric.) The value is separated into ranges which would represent their weight classification from underweight to severely obese.

It started with a little treat between meals. Then a couple more treats between meals. And pretty soon those little treats began to add up, and that little spare tire around the middle became more like a fifth wheel. You can stop pinching yourself. I'm not talking about your spare tire. I'm talking about your pet's spare tire.

And poor Max and Bailey aren't alone. Recent research studies found about 25% of our furry friends are obese or overweight.

In the past few years, information on childhood obesity seems to be everywhere. The reason for this is because of the frightening rate at which the number of obese children is growing. Society is consequently trying hard to react to a worsening problem that is spreading to almost epidemic proportions.

There are four main steps all parents must take in order to prevent childhood obesity in their children.

Abolish soft drinks from the diet

Children have more energy requirements since they are in the growing stage. A nutritive diet is essential for their healthy development. Unlike adults, children are more prone to diseases. When they consume more number of calories than they actually burn, the extra calories get stored in their body in the form of fats.

Childhood obesity is of immense concern today. It has become a universal phenomenon. Children, who are overweight, tend to grow up as obese. Therefore, they develop higher risk of inheriting diseases in the later stages of life. Obesity is the gateway to many diseases such as, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease etc. Health problems increase with obesity on a rise.

Obesity and just being overweight is the cause or the worsening of nearly every disease or health condition.

The biggest cause for snoring, and snoring is a symptom of many health conditions, is obesity. There are other causes, smoking, drinking, sleep medications and others, but without doubt being overweight is the biggest cause.

As the body becomes overweight, fat deposits develop in various areas of the body, and the neck is no exception. Excess fatty, flabby tissue within the nasal cavities offers such an obstruction. The condition is even worse when the obese person lies on their back to sleep as the front of the neck is a prime site for the accumulation of excess fat and fluid and the weight of this squashes the airways.

Obesity is a condition that can shorten your life and can seriously affect you mentally and physically. It often has its roots in childhood. Obesity in children is growing at a frighteningly fast rate. There are more obese children now than ever before. Parents are letting their carelessness with their own diets spill over into their children's lives.

Here are a few points to think about when trying to prevent obesity and health problems for your children.

Small children are normally energetic and often require snacks in-between meals. It is most important to choose healthy snacks for your children.

Obesity has become a threatening issue around the globe and it will be more serious if it is not eradicated right now. According to the various surveys carried out researchers it has come to notice that half the population of America is suffering from overweight disorders and obesity problems. Even young kids are not spared from this problem. The root cause of the overweight is improper food habits and sitting idle for longer duration and not carrying out regular exercises.

As the government becomes more aware of the problem of childhood obesity, schools in the UK are now planning to weigh and measure all children at the ages of 4-5, when they start primary school and again at 10-11, when they are about to leave for secondary education. This is something which is already being carried out in the US, but how effective is it?

There are arguments that children will be stigmatised and that this will increase bullying, as well as leading to an increased number of children suffering from eating disorders in the future. In addition, many people feel that parents should be able to tell that their child is overweight and that the money could be put to better use by doing something to help change the situation.

In a world where media and societal mores hold beauty and fitness to high standards, an overweight person can feel depressed, left out, and suffer low self-worth. Television and fashion magazines bombard us with pictures of reed-thin models and actresses and athletes with washboard abs, glamorizing certain impossible ideals to a point that a normal person is destined to feel inadequate. One can imagine how an overweight or morbidly obese person must feel to be exposed to this environment.

Aside from emotional factors that come into play, obesity brings with it various health risks that must be addressed first.