January 10, 2009 11:42 AM
Obesity epidemic - what can we do?
Read it and weep. See the bridge between overweight and obesity? And can you believe only one third of Americans weigh what they should?
Obese Americans now outweigh the merely overweight
Fri Jan 9, 2009 3:48pm ESTWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of obese American adults outweighs the number of those who are merely overweight, according to the latest statistics from the federal government.
Numbers posted by the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. It said just under 6 percent are "extremely" obese.
"More than one-third of adults, or over 72 million people, were obese in 2005-2006, the NCHS said in its report.
The numbers are based on a survey of 4,356 adults over the age of 20 who take part in a regular government survey of health, said the NCHS, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The figures come from the 2005-2006 survey and are the most current available.
"During the physical examination, conducted in mobile examination centers, height and weight were measured as part of a more comprehensive set of body measurements," the NCHS report said.
"Although the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled since 1980, the prevalence of overweight has remained stable over the same time period," it said.
Read the entire article here.
I am beginning to think this is a moral crisis in our country - caused by self-indulgence and lack of self-control. We really MUST do all we can to get this under control. The only person we can change is ourselves, but through example, we may create awareness in others who begin to change too.
Comments
I think our consumerist culture drives this epidemic- we're taught from a very early age by our addictions to television that it is not only right, but necessary that we get exactly what we want, when we want it, the way we want it, at the expense of whatever else. It's really sad, and one of the reason I think children should have very limited television viewing until they're old enough to understand the messages they are being sent.
Posted by: Rach | January 10, 2009 12:09 PM
(just for info, i am 100 lbs overweight, never obese as a kid, and i lose weight when i'm pregnant...wonder why...cause i care about my babies....HELLO!!! crazy mixed up lady that i am..)
moral issue yes...self indulgence, definately...but more so i believe its a lack of FAITH
-lack of faith in general
-lack of faith that we are to be good stewarts of our bodies and health
-lack of faith to use the strength HE gives us..
-lack of faith of our worth, we are HIS children...
-we lack so much, yes are overwhelmed with excuses..and moments of weakness....
regardless of ones opinion of the movie Evan Almighty there is the best line, when the wife speak to "god" not knowing yet he's not just a waiter...shes upset at the way her husband is acting and "god" answers...You prayed for a way for your husband to get closer to the boys, for the family to be united...you don't get what you prayed for..you get a chance to make that prayer happen...
the weight doesnt just melt off, we have to sacrifice...we have to will ourselves to be strong...
to use the strength he GIVES us...
(as previously mentioned, in case my post got lost..i am 100 lbs overweight with no good excuse to be such...i KNOW what to do to lose the weight...why don't i just do it...)
Posted by: celina | January 10, 2009 2:54 PM
Barbara,
I know the weight issue is good to talk about. There are many reasons people are overweight or obese.
I'm always concerned, though, when government-run or subsidized agencies put out these reports on obesity.
I believe during the Clinton administration, the FDA decided to lower the BMI standard so that those with a higher BMI became obese...OVERNIGHT.
Seriously, the next day some 30 million Americans were suddenly obese.
I have read your weight-loss journey and have nothing but respect for you. It is a difficult and emotional journey...I know too well.
But, my issue isn't with dealing with weight between individuals who struggle, my issue is when the state gets involved.
Government hasn't proven to be competent at anything except taking control and providing abortions...there's always a hidden agenda and it usually involves money.
Call me libertarian, but I always cast a skeptical eye when these reports come out.
Posted by: Julia | January 10, 2009 7:19 PM
I am with you to a point.
Obviously gluttony is a sin that affects a LOT of people. But I don't know that it is a sin that affects ALL fat people.
There are a lot of chubby monks and nuns out there. Their diets are pretty well controlled and don't include a lot of bad stuff. Id say that based on this and some of the data out there obesity isn't as simple as "calories in/out".
I just wanted to offer that in case there are some chunky people reading this feeling beaten up because they really honestly truly do control their portions and eat healthy.
Posted by: paigeu | January 11, 2009 7:42 PM
Not all of us are fat from lack of self control - I did not know that I was sensitive to wheat/grains and dairy products, but lived on wheat almost exclusively during our first year of marriage - it was all we could afford - the CHEAP stuff with no nutrition. I was so hungry all of the time. When we were able to go out or HAD to eat out, I picked the cheapest thing I could - more wheat/corn/dairy. Then I got pregnant with my daughter - and when I began to show signs of pre-eclampsia, was told to up the protein - so Dh brought me MILK, which worsened the problem, so was told to up the protein... again and again. I gained over 50 lbs in 8 weeks and was miserable.
I was doing a good job of getting my weight down again, when I had a second daughter, and kept my weight pretty steady without dairy, but due to complications and stress the following year - the doctor put me on the pill, a mild one. Because dh was jobless and we were moving - I ate very poorly, and was SO hungry (hormones). By the time the prescription ran out, I had gained 60 lbs. I worked hard and started to see it come off and was doing pretty good again because we lived with my in-laws and they fed us veggies and meat - I was not hungry. After 3 years, and 2 miscarriages, another move, I got pregnant, and stayed on a strict diet - and lost 30 lbs. Yeah! But after the baby was born, dh went back to buying the old diet (he does all the grocery shopping since he keeps the money and is the only driver). After 2 miscarriages, I sunk into a deep depression - which I'm only just starting to come out of again - Dh has been jobless AGAIN for nearly a year. WIC gives us dairy, he buys mostly grain type foods - I'm always hungry and restless - and with depression gained a LOT of weight.
So why can I not just pull myself together - only eat 1 meal a day of the veggies and meat that we do have in the house, skip the cereal for breakfast, get out of the house and face big dogs and cars driving too fast and snakes (big fear of all partly due to being mostly blind) and we live in the country. I don't know - for us very poor people - it's also a problem of the food that we have to eat is vitamin empty and calorie rich. It's full of toxins and chemicals that are highly addictive - as much so as drugs or cigarettes or alcohol. I really wish I could just flick a switch and not be depressed, not be hungry, fix Dh's laziness, have tons of energy, and everything else I perceive as wrong with my world.
Almost every poor person I know is overweight to very fat - most of us just cannot afford the foods we need to eat. We choose our foods with cost cutting in mind. Most of the richer people I know are not fat - and they throw away more food than I can afford to buy.
Yeah - I used the recommended food pyramid for years - lost my health and got fat. Thank you very much Uncle Sam.
I've learned a lot about healthy eating from Mercola.com - and when I can get Dh to buy food on his protein diet, I loose weight and have energy without a lot of effort. When he buys what is cheap and what he likes (75% of the time), I'm sluggish and overeat. Two or more plates of Spaghetti never fills me up and I'm starving in a few hours. But a small plate of good quality steak, stir fy type veggies cooked in coconut oil - and I'm good to go for hours. If I get munchy - a handful of walnuts will nip that craving, but snacking on cereal or pretzals or popcorn or PB sandwich will make the snacking feeling worse.
It's a whole lot bigger picture than lack of willpower and selfishness on the part of the fat person. We've been sold a worthless bill of goods about proper health.
Once again I'm gearing up to put in a small garden. This year I hope we succeed and the plants grow and produce a bit before they die.
Posted by: Rachel | January 18, 2009 1:08 PM
