If you live in Colorado, consider yourself lucky. You might be one of the few located in our beautiful state with one of the slimmest waistlines in the country. However, if you call home further South in the United States, you may not be as fortunate. Each year the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releases a rating on the slimmest states in the Union. You can check the rankings out for yourself here.
What is obesity? Obesity is defined by the CDC as a calculation. For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate the “body mass index” (BMI). It correlates their amount of body fat. For example, I am six feet tall and 160-pounds. My BMI is 21.7, which is considered normal. If I alter the calculation and list my height the same, but my weight as 500-pounds then my BMI changes to 67.8, which is considered obese. You can easily find your BMI by clicking here. The calculations are an estimate, so don’t be upset if your results are not what you expected.
Let’s move to another point – prevention!
According to the CDC obesity is one of the major killers. Over 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older—over 60 million people—are obese (click here)! The situation is not getting better, it is worsening. Without the aid of a healthy diet, exercise and possibly medical treatment, the risks are great. There is hope…
Because my expertise lies within exercise, I thought I would start with “sweating it out”. Exercise is one of the most critical preventative activities. Whether it is walking, working out at a gym or racing competitively, each of us should participate in some form of exercise. It is best to check with your doctor prior to beginning any physical exercise program. Studies have shown that exercise not only helps to shed the pounds while you are active; it also creates better self-esteem, more energy and increased caloric expenditure - even while you are resting. So, you’ll feel better as well as improving your health. The Surgeon General is also concerned with the amount of exercise you participate in a day. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, adding moderate amounts of physical activity five or more times a week to your routine uses 150 calories of energy on each day of activity, which can be equivalent to approximately 5 pounds in 6 months or 10 pounds in 1 year. It is a safe bet that exercise will make your life better. How many hours do you exercise a week?
On the right is a poll to gather information about you. Don’t worry; all the results are completely anonymous. The poll is designed to gauge the number of hours WE exercise a week. If you don’t know, just guesstimate your hours. In a subsequent post, I’ll detail the results to see if we are a healthy group, or in need of serious help!!!
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