 |
|
|
| |
Obesity– a national problem!!!
By Dr. Narinder Saini M.D.
How many Americans are overweight or obese?
Thirty-four percent of U.S. adults are considered overweight,
and an additional 31 percent are obese.
How do doctors define overweight versus obesity?
Anyone with a body mass index (a ratio between your height
and weight) of 25 or above -- that’s someone, for example,
who is 5-foot-4 and 145 pounds -- is considered overweight,
according to the National Institutes of Health. Anyone
with a body mass index of 30 or above -- such as someone
who is 5-foot-6 and 186 pounds -- is considered obese.
How many deaths are attributed to obesity each year?
Three hundred thousand people die each year due to obesity-related
causes, making it the second-leading cause of death after
smoking. Being overweight increases the risk of hypertension,
heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.
Are children affected by the epidemic?
Fifteen percent of youngsters ages 6 to 19 and 10 percent
of children 2 through 5 are considered seriously overweight.
Why are so many dieters doomed to fail?
About 45 percent of women and 25 percent of men are trying
to lose weight at any one time, but only one-fifth are
using the recommended combination of fewer calories and
increased exercise.
How much do we spend on obesity?
Americans spend more than $33 billion a year on weight-loss
products and services. However, the economic cost of obesity
in the United States was about $117 billion in 2000.
What should we be doing?
Choose low-fat, lean foods from the five major food groups;
eat sensible portions, and use fats, oils, sweets and
salt sparingly. Total fat intake should be no more than
30 percent of daily calories. Exercise moderately for
at least 30 minutes on most days. If you need to lose
weight, do so gradually -- aim to lose about 10 percent
of your body weight over 6 months. |
|
|
|
|
