Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is becoming an alarmingly common phenomenon in our society nowadays. The percent of obese children in our society has greatly increased in past years, and, somewhat as a result, both obese adults and diseases associated with childhood obesity have increased as well. Thus, it is more vitally important than ever that parents of obese children, or of children they simply want to direct into a healthy lifestyle, take into account a number of different factors and practice good parenting techniques in order to encourage their children away from the habits that will lead to childhood obesity and toward a healthy, happy lifestyle.

1. Set a good example

Children, of course, learn habits by watching their parents. Similarly, obese children often learn their habits from watching their parents engage in activities that are conducive to becoming obese. Even parents who are not obese may have obese children. For instance, if the parent is active only outside of the home (such as at a gym), but lives a fairly sedentary life at home, make sure to represent to the child that there is activity so that the child knows that a healthy lifestyle involves a variety of habits, which will help prevent childhood obesity. Similarly, obese children who see their parents eating poorly may continue to do so, while obese children who see their parents eating healthy food will want to tailor their diets to fit their parents.

2. Teach good diet habits

Having a healthy diet is vital to raising children who are healthy. To prevent childhood obesity, children must not only practice good diet habits but also understand them. Parents of obese children should work on keeping unhealthy foods out of the house, but also teach the child what a good diet would entail so as to prevent the child from simply purchasing unhealthy food while away from the home. Likewise, parents of healthy children should not only practice a healthy diet, but teach their children healthy habits so that when the child eventually is left to his or her own devices, he or she will not revert to unhealthy practices. In particular, stress the important of avoiding sugar drinks and salty snacks to obese children to steer them away from childhood obesity. Furthermore, give your child fruits and vegetables as snacks rather than prepackaged snacks that are highly unhealthy, which can greatly help your child stay away from childhood obesity.

3. Encourage the child to have active activities

Even if your child is initially resistant, encourage the child to have healthy activities. Take your child out hiking or suggest activities so that the child will be active, perhaps with friends. Enforcing that the child play a sport can be helpful, but it is certainly not the only way to avoid childhood obesity. Obese children can be greatly helped into reducing weight by regular activity, or by choosing activities that require motion over activities such as video games that encourage a sedentary lifestyle. Having active activities can be one of the greatest ways to avoid obese children.

65% Americans are obese

There are hundreds of myths going around as to obesity causes, though in fact obesity is caused by any number of factors. Because of these myths about obesity causes, people with obesity are often persecuted for stereotypes. In fact, however, many of these supposed obesity causes are untrue, and people who have difficulties with obesity often have little control in their health and happiness.

1. Laziness is one of the main obesity causes

In fact, studies show that genetics are perhaps one of the biggest obesity causes. Environment, diet, and exercise do play a major role, but many groups, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) firmly acknowledge that genetics are a huge factor in obesity causes. People who are obese may be lazy, or they may not be; it depends on the person, just as it does for anyone else.

2. Obesity will kill you

People with obesity do, in fact, have a higher risk of death (though there are a few studies that dispute this), but not all people with obesity will have all of the effects that supposedly obesity causes. It’s true that it appears obesity causes many complications with health, however, people who are obese can be healthy by maintaining a healthy level of exercise and eating well.

3. 65% of Americans are obese

It is true that 65% of Americans are considered obese by the federal government, but some groups such as Obesity Myths suggest that this may be because the American government has unreasonable standards for obesity. Furthermore, they say that while the government considers high levels of fat and poor health to be all of the obesity causes, many obese people are actually only overweight because of their high amount of muscles inflates their weight. Of course, many people are obese because of fat, but many groups suggest that the 65% numbers are a bit too high.

4. Obesity kills 400,000 people a year in America

In 2004, the CDC published a study saying that 400,000 Americans died every year as a result of obesity. However, a little more than a year later they published another report saying that the primary study was flawed and that the real numbers were actually closer to 26,000 deaths per year. While the CDC itself acknowledged this, the myth that obesity causes death at a hugely increased rate has not abated.

Be healthy

It is a well documented fact that people who are overweight or obese are more poorly treated in society than those who are thinner. In particular, people who are overweight or obese often feel as though they’re being told that their bodies are inadequate or ugly and thus develop any number of psychological problems as a result of the ensuing unhappiness. Plenty of these people, however, feel happy in their own skins and have no desire to change their body shape and size. If you are overweight or obese and wish to stay that way, the following tips may help you to avoid these psychological issues and to become more comfortable with the body you have.

1. Join a fat acceptance group

There are many groups of people who are comfortable with their weight and advocate of being treated as equals of their thinner counterparts. For instance, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) works to promote being comfortable with one’s self as an overweight or obese person. They keep an archive of articles related to the importance of being comfortable as an overweight or obese person, and science related to the great weight debate. You also might be able to find a more local fat acceptance group

2. Be confident

Many of the psychological problems associated with being overweight or obese are as a result of poor self-image and low self-confidence. In order to be more comfortable with being overweight or obese, it is important to learn ways to gain self-confidence. If you are looking to maintain your weight, don’t be ashamed of your decision. Instead, know that people will respect you more if you are comfortable with your weight and present yourself as such. Look people in the eye and walk with your head held high. Furthermore, overweight and obese people who are more comfortable with their weight and feel less threatened and maliciously targeted by their social interactions are less likely to gain more weight.

3. Be healthy

Certainly being overweight or obese can contribute to making one unhealthy, or be a side effect. Even if one intends to stay overweight and obese, it is important to get some amount of exercise so as to stay healthy. Take up some type of exercise that fits your particular needs and abilities. For instance, swimming is a great sport for people who are overweight or obese because it is very low impact and builds good cardiovascular health.

Obesity Statistics

Obesity statistics suggest a variety of physical problems and complications associated with morbid obesity that are commonly cited as the biggest issues with morbid obesity. In fact, physical problems are extremely problematic, however they are not the only problems that people afflicted with morbid obesity face. Many reports and obesity statistics show that morbid obesity is also often associated with a social stigma that leads to actual problems in the treatment and social interactions of the personal with morbid obesity.

1. Medical care

Obesity statistics show disparaging treatment can be a major problem. For instance, one study done of nearly two and a half thousand women, many with morbid obesity or some form of being overweight, had the women rate their social interactions. More than half of these women reported that doctors had treated them poorly because of morbid obesity, or of some other kind of obesity. In addition, both doctors and nurses reported that patients with morbid obesity were viewed differently, or were treated differently. Obesity statistics show that both doctors and nurses report that they often believed that patients with morbid obesity were non-compliant, lazy, unsuccessful, or overindulgent, among a number of other negative factors. In addition nearly a quarter of nurses reported that patients with morbid obesity “repulsed” them, while nearly a third of nurses said they would prefer not to care for patients with morbid obesity.

2. Employment

Obesity statistics show that people with obesity also often report having been passed over for jobs and benefits or being fired because of their obesity. For instance, obesity statistics show that obese women generally earn 12% less than thinner women and are more likely to be in low paying jobs. Similarly, obese men are paid less and are under represented in managerial and professional positions. These obesity statistics also suggest that these men are more often passed over for promotions.

3. Psychological problems

Obesity statistics also show that psychologists believe that obese clients have more severe psychological problems, are more negative, and have worse prognosis. However, obesity statistics also show that obesity is associated with an increased risk of depression, as well as a number of other self-confidence and self-image issues. Obesity statistics also show that obese patients are more likely to cancel or reschedule appointments and pursue preventative health care services.

Urinary Incontinence

Obesity is well documented to be associated with a variety of different diseases including heart diseases and respiratory diseases. In addition to these diseases, however, obesity is associated with a higher risk of getting a much wider variety of diseases. Some of these diseases are caused by being obese, or may relate to the same factors that cause one to be obese, such as genetic dispositions. Some of the diseases less commonly known to be related to obesity are stated as follows.

1. Gout

Gout, though more often thought of as an antiquated disease, is far more common in obese people. Gout is the condition of elevated levels of uric acid crystals in the bloodstream which can cause swelling in single joints in the foot or large, swollen deposits or uric acid just under the skin in various places around the body. Though this disease is not usually particularly painful at its onset, it can become extremely problematic if one’s intake of uric acid is not decreased. The association of this disease with obesity has to do with the fact that both obesity and gout are often associated with excessive intake of certain meats and some alcoholic beverages.

2. Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression of wrist nerves leading to numbness and muscle weakness in the hands. This is usually associated with genetic predisposition to having the disease, but obese individuals are known to be 2.5 times more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. This is perhaps because

3. Dementia

Dementia is a fairly broad term used to describe a condition where a person tends to have decreased cognitive ability, especially in areas of memory, attention, language, and problem solving. Obesity is associated with higher rates of dementia.

4. Hirsutism

Hirsutism is the condition of having increased terminal hair in places where the body does not usually have terminal hair (the thicker hair usually acquired during puberty). Women in particular who are obese and have a higher resistance to insulin are more likely to have hirsutism.

5. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is a disease that results in obese people because of their obesity. It is a condition where, as a result of being obese, people breathe slowly or more shallow than is normal and, as a result, have increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood and lower levels of oxygen. This leads to swelling in the legs or heart failure, and usually manifests in heavily disrupted sleep or sleepiness during awake time, conditions which are also associated with being obese.

6. Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is the condition of having uncontrollable urine leakages. This is associated with being obese, and it has been shown that obese people with urinary incontinence who lose weight can reduce episodes of incontinence

Morbid Obesity

Obesity statistics show that the rise of obesity and, in particular, morbid obesity, is startlingly high. Of course, most Americans are now aware that our country is considered one of the fatter countries, but as these obesity statistics show, morbid obesity is becoming frighteningly more prevalent in our country.

1. What is it?

An individual is considered to have morbid obesity generally if he or she has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, though some groups consider a BMI of 35 or greater to morbid obesity. Still others such as the National Institutes of Health suggest that being either 50-100% or 100 pounds more than one’s recommended body weight is morbid obesity. In many Asian countries where obesity statistics show that there is a genetic predisposition to a higher tolerance of excess weight, the marks for morbid obesity are set higher in various countries.

2. Correspondence with other diseases

Obesity statistics from a recent study by Loyola University found that nearly two thirds of adults with type 2 diabetes are obese, but, worse, that one fifth of adults with type 2 diabetes are afflicted with morbid obesity. In addition, morbid obesity is well known to be associated with such conditions as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, respiratory problems, depression, and gallbladder disease. The cause of these correspondences is varied among people; obesity statistics show that morbid obesity may result as a side effect of the disease, or may be rooted in the same causes as the disease, or even have caused the disease, depending on the person and the disease. Furthermore, obesity statistics show that people who have morbid obesity have death rates that are 50-60% higher than their thinner counterparts. Also, having a higher BMI corresponds with having a higher risk of getting cancer in the first place.

3. Causes

Obesity statistics show that morbid obesity is caused by a number of various factors. Many people focus on genetic predispositions to gaining weight, and obesity statistics do show a far stronger tie to genetics than previously thought. There is also, of course, a high correspondence to a poor diet and little exercise causing morbid obesity. Obesity statistics show in particular that morbid obesity is caused by a variety of causes.

4. Other side effects

Obesity statistics also show a correlation between morbid obesity and depression, partly from chemical changes in the body, but also because of a common trend of lower self esteem. Furthermore, obesity statistics have proven that people with higher rates of obesity tend to have lower paying jobs, get passed over for promotions more frequently, and are more likely to get fired.

Learn to Cook

Though some forms of obesity have been proven to be genetic and uncontrollable, most types of obesity are directly related to habit. Curing obesity, however, is not as easy as simply changing these habits. Obesity has a variety of causes that work together to make someone obese, and not all of these can be changed with extreme ease. For one thing, the habits that have caused this obesity are deeply ingrained (enough to have cause the obesity). Similarly, extreme exercise usually cannot be taken up immediately since the obese person’s body can often not tolerate the stress of such difficult exercise. The most important is not to see these new changes as a “diet”, but as parts of the obese person’s lifestyle that will have to be changed, not merely adopted temporarily.

1. Learn to cook (well!)

Often an obese person begins weight gain with poor eating habits, whether it be over consumption of food or consumption of food that has poor nutritional value. This is often a result of the obese person either never having been taught good eating habits, or of having little inclination or time to cook healthier food. Many obese people are under the idea that healthy food tastes “healthy” and, thus, is not particularly good, or that it takes a great deal of time to cook. In fact, healthy, delicious food can be exquisitely simple to make, and incredibly fulfilling. If you are obese and are looking for a way to eat better, do a little research to discover how to make better food. Get a subscription to a healthy magazine with simple recipes, or take a cooking class that teaches better cooking. For someone who is obese and eats out frequently, eating out less frequently can greatly help reduce obesity by reducing caloric intake.

2. Take up exercise gradually

If you are obese, you know that exercise can be sometimes be so difficult as to seem almost impossible. However, know that you can incorporate exercise into your daily life so as to ease into it gradually. Look at your daily life. Are there places that you could add exercise without disrupting your life? Do you often take the elevator instead of the stairs, or e-mail coworkers when you could just as easily walk over to them? Even adding in these small amounts of exercise can help you reduce obesity if they are added in where you didn’t normally have exercise.

3. Take up activities with multiple people

If you’re trying to reduce obesity and you have a little extra time, try joining into an active activity in your community. If you become involved with a group of walkers, not only will you get exercise and be motivated to keep it up, but you’ll have a support group and perhaps even have fun in the process of reducing obesity.

4. Don’t be ashamed of your fight to reduce obesity

Don’t be embarrassed by the fact that you’re obese and, more importantly, that you’re trying to get healthy. If you’re serious about it, share your small victories with your family and friends. If they can see that you’re serious about reducing your obesity, you might be surprised with the small ways that they can offer support and help.

Overweight or no?

1. What defines being obese or overweight?

Doctors define being obese as being more than 20% over the expected and healthy weight. This, of course, needs to be adjusted for people who have great amounts of muscle (which weighs a great deal), though people whose muscle puts them over the obese mark are less common than those who are simply obese or overweight. Though this is a rough approximation, it is important to be properly aware of one’s expected weight according to gender, height, and other extenuating circumstances. Properly, the National Institute of Health defines being overweight is having a BMI (the percent of one’s body that is made of fat) of 27.3% or more for women or 27.8% or more for men while the World Health Organization defines being above 25% as overweight. Both define above 30% as being obese.

2. How many people?

In America, it is most commonly believed that approximately 60%-75% of people are overweight or obese. Approximately 25% of the country’s population is considered properly obese. Of these estimates, it is believed that 25 to 32 million (about 13% or more) children and teenagers are overweight or obese. In America, over the past years every category of person has increased its numbers of overweight or obese people except for the adult female category which seems to have stayed steady. Worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1.6 billion adults were overweight, while at least 400 million of these people were obese. By 2015, they project that these numbers will rise to 2.3 billion overweight adults and 700 million obese adults. At least 20 million children under the age of 5 are considered overweight or obese.

3. Which countries are most overweight?

Contrary to popular belief, the United States is not considered the most overweight country, though it does make the top ten. The top ten most overweight countries are almost all in the Pacific Islands, and are, in order, Nauru (number one), Micronesia, The Cook Islands (a free associated state of New Zealand), Tonga, Niue (New Zealand has responsibilities for its external affairs), Samoa, Palau, Kuwait, United States of America, and Kiribati. Most of the island nations suffer from a combination of poor nutrition as a result of the lack of availability of fruits and vegetables, genetic dispositions, and, in some cases, obesity still being as a sign of wealth. In terms of being actually obese, the United States does make the top of the list with nearly a third of the population being obesity, followed by Mexico, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic. It is notable that the number ten country, the Czech Republic, has less than half the obesity rates of the United States of America.

Childhood Obesity

Every reputable medical source in our nation has shown drastic rises in childhood obesity in the past several decades as a result of a number of factors. It is important to know the number of obese children in our country so as to be able to track our progress toward a thinner country and to see if our tactics are working, but it is far more important to use these childhood obesity statistics to make a plan and motivate the nation to committing itself to a thinner future. Clearly childhood obesity is prevalent problem, and only by a head-on confrontation of this problem can we hope to conquer this problem.

1. How many children?

According to one section of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overweight or obese children comprise 16% of children between 6 and 19 years old. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a subsidiary of the CDC, meanwhile estimated childhood obesity to be approximately 18.8% for children between the ages of 6 and 11 in 2004, while 17.4% of 12 to 19 year olds are considered obese children. The numbers of obese children have doubled in the past twenty years, tripled over the past thirty, and more than quadrupled over the past forty years. Furthermore, childhood obesity is not a phase. The NHANES estimates that more than 80% of overweight or obese children will become overweight or obese adults, while 25% of obese adults were overweight as children.

2. Causes

Levels of childhood obesity are far higher than they ever have been in our country. Reasons for why have varied greatly over subjects, but a number of factors point to technology in a number of areas. For one, computers and video games give the option of having hobbies that are sedentary, which has been shown to be a great factor in childhood obesity. Also, obese children are known to consume far more sugary and salty snacks than their thinner counterparts. Furthermore, the rising levels of adult obesity in this nation have set poor examples for children who will follow the lead that will eventually take them down the road to childhood obesity.

3. Consequences

It is well documented by NHANES that obese children are at a far higher risk for plenty of diseases than their thinner counterparts. Obese children generally have a higher risk for having cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, abnormal glucose tolerance, or high cholesterol levels. Though it’s less common than these cardiovascular diseases, obese children also are more likely to have asthma, hepatic steatosis (which causes liver problems), sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes. Of course, in addition, obese children are at a higher risk of being obese adults, which will lead to all sorts of other complications so that childhood obesity can be a gateway to plenty of adult obesity related problems.

Genetics

Obesity causes cannot be accurately pinpointed in every person because obesity causes are usually widely varied and high in number. That said, some obesity causes are more prevalent than others. The most common obesity causes are given below in general terms, though obesity can be caused by a mix of any of these factors, along with any number of other causes which are best diagnosed by a doctor or nutritionist.

1. Genetics

Genetics are frequently listed as obesity causes, though the full extent of the genetic disposition is not often entirely recognized. There are some genetic disorders that cause obesity just from the body’s tendency to keep fat, however genetic disorders can also factor in a number of other ways. For instance, genetic disorders affecting thyroid function or leptin performance can both have drastic effects on weight. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describe how genetics are shown to have a higher influence in obesity factors than ever before. At the same time, however, studies that show the rising rates of obesity in recent years suggest that environmental factors have a fairly large say in obesity. The CDC makes a point of recommending that even people who have a high genetic disposition to obesity ought to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

2. Diet

Diet changes in the last several decades have been shown to be a major factor in obesity causes. Over the past decades, American food has, as a trend, become saltier, fattier, and more processed. Moreover, links between obesity and food can be shown in people who eat processed foods more often than fresh food, and those who snack on processed foods over fresh ones. Further, far more people eat out at restaurants than ever before in American history, which contributes heavily to obesity levels. Much of our American food is extremely high in calories and fat and a diet high in this food tends to have fewer fresh vegetables and fruits, and far more proteins and fats. Furthermore, studies show that most Americans have either enough or too many proteins in their diet, in comparison to a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fibers and dairy.

3. Lifestyle/Environment

Lifestyle and, in particular, amount of exercise are great contributing obesity causes. Getting exercise is vital to preventing obesity in anyone, and a failure to get exercise can be extremely problematic. Furthermore, one’s environment and one’s acquaintances can also be major obesity causes. Having friends and family who practice many of the major obesity causes, such as poor eating and low exercise levels, can help contribute to a person’s obesity by providing a social environment that is not conducive to being thin.