Obesity Epidemic General Obesity Epidemic

The Worrying Implications Of The General Obesity Epidemic

Here in the United States and the rest of the industrialized world we are raising a generation of children that probably won't see the age of seventy. The general obesity epidemic in the developed world is having a serious impact on all ages, genders and ethnic groups. Here in the United States over 30 percent of adults and 15 percent of children have a BMI of thirty or more and two thirds of the population is overweight. It seems that we are all getting fatter at an alarming rate and this has serious implications for the future health of humanity.

The Cause

A person gains weight when they consume more calories than they can burn in energy. Simply put, the general obesity epidemic is the result of the fact that we eat too much and do too little. We work in offices where we sit down at a desk all day and then go home to watch television on the sofa at night. Our children play video games in the house instead of going outside to play. Instead of cooking healthy nutritious meals at home we eat out at fast food restaurants or order a pizza. We consume massive portions and do not stop eating once we are full. As a result we store more body fat than is healthy for us.

Related Health Conditions

The general obesity epidemic is having a devastating impact on the health of the people in this nation. There are actually thirty health complaints that are associated with obesity. The most worrying link to obesity is the diabetes epidemic. Approximately 16 million Americans have type two diabetes and more than half of them do not even know it. Diabetes is the 7th biggest killer in the United States. The general obesity epidemic is also causing a greater prevalence of cardiovascular disease and hypertension in the United States.

What We Can Do

If you are frightened by the implications of the general obesity epidemic you can at least ensure that you personally do something about it. If your BMI is more than twenty five you need to reduce it for the sake of your health. You can reduce your BMI by following a healthy calorie controlled diet plan, avoiding fast food and increasing the amount of exercise you do. If you have children you can also take measures to change their lifestyles for the better and educate them about food. If we all make the decision to eat better and exercise more we can stop the general obesity epidemic from becoming any worse than it is already.