Obesity and Obesity Statistics


  • Americans’ obsession with their body weight is evidenced by the 50% of women and 25% of men who are trying to lose weight at any given time
  • One third of US adults and one fourth of US children are obese. Almost three fourths of all Americans are overweight.
  • Americans are more sedentary and at the same time consume more calories than their peers of 10 years ago.
  • Obesity is defined as being 20% over the recommended weight in height/weight tables. Better methods of determining obesity are those that involve actual fat measurements. With these methods, body fat percentages of 25% and 32% for men and women respectively are classified as moderately obese.
  • Obesity is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, some forms of cancer, some types of diabetes mellitus, respiratory disorders, and orthopedic problems. Obesity has been declared a disease by the National Institutes of Health.
  • Dietary intake of too much fat and too many calories is the major cause of obesity.
  • Dietary fat has less of a thermogenic effect than do carbohydrate and protein and therefore is more efficiently and easily stored as fat tissue.
  • The general decline in physical activity is highly correlated with the rise in obesity.
  • Engaging in a physically active lifestyle is the best way to prevent weight gain.
  • Approximately 70% of the energy liberated from food is expended to support BMR.
  • Physical activity improves body composition, in ­ creases BMR, improves insulin sensitivity, and increases oxygen capacity and glycogen storage in muscles.
  • Obesity occurs when fat cells increase excessively either in size (hypertrophy) and/or in number (hyperplasia). Most obesity is adult-onset and caused by hypertrophy.
  • Heredity and set point are the major biological factors associated with obesity.
  • The development and distribution of body fat is under substantial genetic control.
  • An endomorphic body type is more prone to fat cell storage than ectomorphic and mesomorphic types.
  • Physical activity is the best way to alter the body’s set point for fatness.
  • Overeating and lack of physical activities are the major behavioral explanations of obesity.
  • Weight loss requires a caloric deficit in which food intake and exercise are manipulated so that caloric expenditure exceeds caloric intake.
  • Complex forces influence the success of weight loss efforts and help to explain why people respond so differently to similar dieting strategies.
  • Low-fat diets often result in over compensatory eating behaviors in which the dieter ends up consuming more total calories.
  • Behavioral techniques may be a good supplement to exercise and dietary modification for weight management.
  • Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are three potentially destructive eating disorders with complex causes.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pernicious Anemia: Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Image
Anemia  is a blood disorder in which the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin is lower than normal. With fewer red blood cells or hemoglobin, insufficient oxygen is delivered to the body 's cells. Pernicious anemia  is a type of anemia caused by a deficiency in vitamin B12. In pernicious anemia, the lack of vitamin B12 is due to the body 's inability to produce enough  intrinsic factor , a protein necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12. Pernicious anemia is a type of  megaloblastic anemia . Megaloblastic anemia is defined as, "a blood disorder characterized by anemia, with red blood cells that are larger than normal, usually resulting from a deficiency of folic acid or of vitamin B12 .  " (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Pernicious anemia by any other name . . . Pernicious anemia is known by a number of other names, including: macrocytic achylic anemia congenital pernicious anemia juvenile pernicious anemia vitamin B12 deficienc
Keep reading

Stress Relaxation Techniques

The ultimate goal in stress coping and management is to reduce the negative effects of stress. Different relaxation techniques have proved successful and can be used based on individual preference. Brief descriptions of various techniques follow. If you are interested in pursuing the use of these techniques further, more information is available in books or on tapes. These books and tapes can be purchased at bookstores or may be accessible at your library. Deep Breating as a Relaxation Technique Deep breathing is the most basic relaxation technique and is often the foundation for other methods. The primary benefit is that deep breathing can be done anywhere and anytime. It is beneficial to practice deep breathing several times a day. The methodology consists of completely filling the lungs when breathing so that the abdomen expands out ward. You begin by taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly through the mouth. A hand can be placed on the stomach to ensure that it is fully e
Keep reading

Nutrition & Cystic Fibrosis

Image
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the body's exocrine glands, including the various mucus and sweat glands found throughout the body. Since cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease, most people with the disease are usually diagnosed by their first birthday. The most common problems due to cystic fibrosis are related to the lungs and the digestive system. In the lungs, the mucus produced by the various exocrine glands is abnormally thick, creating obstructions in the breathing passageways and, eventually, damage to the lungs. Furthermore, the thick mucus creates an ideal breeding ground for various bacteria and other organisms, which results in frequent lung infections, damage to the lungs and, ultimately, respiratory failure. Cystic fibrosis also affects the pancreas. The pancreas is responsible for producing various enzymes to aid in digestion, but in cystic fibrosis the pancreas is unable to excrete sufficient amounts of pancreatic enzymes to help digest foo
Keep reading