Four Goodness Sake: 4 Reasons Obesity Should Matter to You

It's alarming but true-- obesity rates in the U.S. are soaring. Between 1980 and 2000, adult obesity rates doubled. And today, about 60 million adults (which is approximately 30% of the population) are now obese.

A person is considered obese when their body mass index (or BMI) measures higher than 30. A BMI of 25 to 29 is considered overweight. The BMI, by the way, is a scale that calculates obesity by measuring a ratio between your height and weight. Want to know your own body mass index?
Click on this link to right to ---> calculate your own BMI online.

Whether you're currently obese, overweight or trying to maintain your healthy weight... Here are four major reasons why obesity should matter to you:

1. Obesity adversely impacts children and young people. Type 2 diabetes (which was once believed to affect only adults) is now being diagnosed among young people, including children. 61% of overweight kids 5 to 10 years of age today have at least one risk factor for heart disease, with 26% of them having two or more risk factors.
2. Obesity can hit your pocketbook. Researchers say $190 billion was spent on obesity-related health care in 2005. Forbes reported in 2012 that healthcare spending related to obesity has grown larger than smoking-related healthcare costs. In addition to direct health care costs like doctor bills and prescription drugs, individuals may also experience lost income from missing work, higher insurance premiums and other costs from being significantly overweight.
3. Obesity can be prevented or corrected. Healthy lifestyles can prevent people from becoming obese or reduce obesity among those who are very overweight. Still, only 25% of the adult population eats the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day and more than 50% of adults do NOT get the recommended amount of physical activity. More than a third of our younger population (in grades 9-12) do NOT regularly engage in any vigorous physical activity to help them lose some of that excess weight.
4. Some health effects of obesity are very difficult to correct. High cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats and shortness of breath are just a few of the complications related to obesity. Many people also experience pain in their joints and arthritis flare-ups, because of the amount of pressure excess weight puts on their joints. Medications are often prescribed to ease these symptoms, but losing weight is typically the best cure.

If you're obese or overweight, you can start changing your life TODAY at InShapeMD Fayetteville. Our medical weight loss programs provide a doctor-guided, personalized approach to weight loss and wellness. Our programs are affordable, simple and designed just for you... to help you reach your goals quickly & safely. Visit our website to get started NOW!

Here's to beating obesity and becoming healthier for life!
--Your InShapeMD Fayetteville Wellness Experts



Has obesity negatively impacted you? Post your experiences in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!