Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million people in the United States, where women are especially affected. Over one-third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily increased since the 1960's.
But what is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but that's not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, so that why there's a difference in percentage.
It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezer-like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is considered to be severely obese. It's important to remember though that BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals. There are some free tools to find your body fat percentage at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/body-fat-calculator.html.
With obesity, comes the increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In addition, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of developing these serious conditions. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and targets of insults and other verbal abuse. Find out if you are at risk for health disease using the health calculators at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/high-blood-pressure.html.
A number of factors, such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. One major obstacle to being more physically active is motivation and accountability. Find a friend with similar fitness goals and begin a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see the results, but your health is worth it!
Written by Shelley Hitz, Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified NASM Personal Trainer.
Sign up for her free Exercise Advice journal at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html or read more of her articles at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html. Get your free unbelievable abs ball workout http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html
If you have recently found yourself fretting over your child's... Read More
Obesity and overweight, weight reduction and weight management therapies, miracle... Read More
Axiom Number One - Nourish your body.Probably the most important... Read More
The only absolute truth in the area of exercise and... Read More
Making the Decision:Whether you are interested losing ten pounds that... Read More
As the dieting phenomenon grows, with a new "diet guru"... Read More
Let's not talk about diets. Diets are punishment ? like... Read More
You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More
If you were going to travel to the other side... Read More
You won't believe what happened to me today!I was getting... Read More
Hold the onions! Let's talk "liver". No, not beef liver,... Read More
Yes, you must be aware of the following 7 points... Read More
When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More
People usually quit weightloss and exercise programs for one of... Read More
I had 14 weight/health-oriented newsletters in my inbox this morning.... Read More
If you are a fan of horse racing, you are... Read More
America loves fast food. Last year, consumers spent billions of... Read More
To see the "low carb" diets on the way out... Read More
As if you needed another reason to hit the snooze... Read More
Weight loss is an issue that affects men and women... Read More
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity... Read More
NLP Setting an Anchor Process to Get Back Motivation for... Read More
New Medical Research shows high-intensity exercise can increase the body's... Read More
Losing weight doesn't have to be boring when you focus... Read More
1.The first step to living a Glycemic Diet Lifestyle is... Read More
Airbnb cleaning service Bannockburn ..While it would be ideal to make all of our... Read More
I did it without starving myself or taking pills. How... Read More
There's nothing more fun then being creative with food and... Read More
One of the hardest aspects of getting yourself into shape,... Read More
Negative thoughts, symbolic protection, being who we really are ........ Read More
1.The first step to living a Glycemic Diet Lifestyle is... Read More
Weight Loss tipsAll throughout my childhood and teenage years I... Read More
As many of us know, it's the first few days... Read More
These treadmill weight loss tips are a great way to... Read More
Just like any other diet, the Atkins diet can become... Read More
Experts tell us that overweight or obese children have reached... Read More
To upgrade the current software in your brain you can... Read More
Diet PillsTaking diet pills is definitely not an effective weight... Read More
If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you... Read More
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More
1. Carrying around excess body fat will decrease your energy... Read More
With this key, I GUARANTEE YOU WILL LOSE ALL THE... Read More
While the gastric bypass may seem like the perfect solution... Read More
Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient... Read More
Maybe you losing weight comes down to the simple question,... Read More
Why We Start Diets on MondayThe biggest problem with any... Read More
Actually, I was reading about fad diet and suddenly I... Read More
Burn fat while you sleep! Eat whatever you want and... Read More
Why have I allowed myself to get into this shape?... Read More
How many of your New Year's resolution start out with... Read More
Weight Loss |