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Due to the dramatic increases in obesity over the past 20 years, it has now reached epidemic proportions. Thirty percent of adults over the age of 20 are obese in the United States, or 60 million people. This epidemic includes not only adults, but children as well. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the last 20 years. There are now 9 million children between the ages of 6 -19 who are considered overweight.

WHAT IS OBESITY?

Obesity is defined simply as too much body fat. Your body is made up of 70% water. The other 30% consists of fat, protein, carbohydrate and an assortment of vitamins and minerals. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following:

* Hypertension
* High total cholesterol
* Type 2-diabetes
* Coronary heart disease
* Stroke
* Gallbladder disease
* Osteo-arthritis
* Respiratory problems
* Certain types of cancers

CAUSES OF OBESITY:

The epidemic of obesity did not crop up overnight. Obesity is a chronic condition caused by an assortment of factors. Because there are so many factors involved (genetics, environment, metabolism, overeating, etc.), it is very difficult to treat the problem.

For instance, a person's genetics and environment can increase their risk of obesity, but their behavior also influences their risk. It is easy for someone to blame heredity for their obesity, but the choices a person makes can increase or decrease their risk significantly.

The choice to be physically inactive and practice unhealthy eating habits not only greatly increases the risk of obesity, but it leads to other diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. On the other hand, people who avoid the behaviors that increase their risk can expect to live healthier and longer lives.

ADDING TO THE PROBLEM:

In the United States, our food options and eating habits have changed dramatically over the course of the past 20 years. We are faced with an astounding array of choices in the grocery stores, many that are not healthy.

Shelves are packed with foods that are pre-packaged and high in fat, sugar and calories. Even foods that are marked as healthy or low-fat may contain more calories than the high-fat food they are supposed to replace. It is important to always read food labels for nutritional information.

Fast food restaurants, while convenient, tend to be high in trans fats, carbohydrates and sugar. Portion size in restaurants has increased dramatically resulting in increased calorie consumption. If the body does not burn off the calories from eating the larger portions and drinking the sugar-laden soft drinks, unhealthy weight gain takes place.

Technology has created many labor saving products that reduce the amount of energy we expend in our daily lives. Instead of people walking or riding a bicycle for short distances, cars are used. Instead of children playing outside, they are in the house watching television.

SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM:

Promoting regular physical activity and a healthy and nutritious diet are essential building blocks for creating a healthy body. In order to accomplish this, you must create an environment that supports this way of life or the obesity epidemic will continue to grow.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Adding regular physical activity contributes to an amazing array of benefits for your body. It reduces your risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, and cancer. It reduces weight, alleviates the pain of arthritis, relieves depression symptoms, and reduces the need for medications.

Whatever physical activity you participate in does not have to be exhausting to be valuable. Remember, any movement is better than none! Taking a brisk walk every day for 20-30 minutes will significantly benefit your body, physically and mentally.

HEALTHY DIET: Good nutrition, like physical activity, lowers the risk for obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. A diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat builds a healthy, strong body. Although most Americans know that a healthy diet is necessary, they are slow in changing their poor eating habits.

These poor eating habits usually begin during childhood and are difficult to change later in life. Children and teenagers eat a diet consisting of too much fat and not enough fruit and vegetables. This results in a generation of overweight, unhealthy children who grow into overweight, unhealthy adults.

Proper diet and nutrition and physical activity are the cornerstones for a healthy body, a body that will not be at risk for obesity or any of the other health-related diseases. However, many diet and exercise plans fail because people jump into things headfirst and make too many changes into their routine too quickly. Making small changes slowly over the course of many months is the key to teaching your body to accept these changes and be successful.