Saturday, February 25, 2012

Americans The Fattest Nation On Earth

But why?
The average American weighs more than ever before because he sits more and eats more. Technological advances at work account for decreased occupational energy expenditure, but not for the rise in leisure-time TV and other physically passive pursuits. And since the average American was already overnourished in the early 1980s, hunger can't explain why we eat more than ever before.
What's driving the changes? It seems likely that broad social influences explain the trends. Although doctors, nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and expert panels advocate strongly for prudent eating and regular exercise, the food and entertainment industries push back with seductive ads that trump somber warnings. And as people get fatter, they slowly accept corpulence as the new normal and then spread their apparent embrace of extra pounds to friends and neighbors through social networks.
Nationwide progress will require broad social realignments that are dauntingly difficult and maddeningly slow. So while we must continue trying to turn the battleship of American obesity, we must also take individual responsibility for exercise, diet, and health.
What you can do
A 2011 Harvard study gives us an opportunity to see how individual choices affect a person's weight over the years. The volunteers included three populations of U.S. men and women; two groups were studied from 1986 to 2006, the third from 1991 to 2003. All of the 120,877 subjects were free of chronic diseases and were not obese at the start of the observation period.
Although all the volunteers were health care professionals, they were not immune to the American norm of slow, steady weight gain during midlife. The average gain was 0.8 pounds a year. But a closer look reveals the lifestyle factors behind the bulge:
Diet:  Weight gain was linked to a high intake of potato chips, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, red meat, and processed meat. In contrast, a high intake of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts, and yogurt appeared to protect against gaining weight. In all, people with the least desirable dietary patterns gained 1.4 pounds a year more than their peers who ate the most healthfully.
Exercise:  Physical activity protected against weight gain. In this case, the greatest benefits went to people who began to exercise or increased their activity level during the study period.
Television:  TV is the enemy of exercise and the friend of snacking. It's no surprise, then, that the people who watched the most TV gained the most weight. Over each four-year period, each daily hour of TV added 0.8 pounds.
Sleep: It's Goldilocks redux. Sleeping too little (less than six hours a day) or too much (over eight hours a day) predicted the greatest weight gain — but people who slept just the right amount experienced the least weight gain.
Alcohol:Eating right, exercising more, sitting less, and sleeping well are all wise lifestyle choices. Alcohol can go either way; moderate drinking (up to two drinks a day for men) appears to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, while heavy drinking is bad news for health. But alcohol is a calorie-dense food, packing more calories (7 per gram) than protein or carbs (4 per gram) and almost as much fat (9 per gram). Modest drinking may be a wise choice for some men, but one drink a day provides enough calories to pack on 10 pounds over the course of a year.
Smoking: For anyone who smokes, quitting is the first step to better health. People who kicked the habit during the study gained an average of 5.2 pounds during the next four years. Still, quitting is the right thing to do, and a combination of diet and exercise can attenuate the weight gain.
The Harvard study shows that individual lifestyle choices go a long way toward explaining weight gain and obesity. You can make whatever choices work best for you, but for weight control and good health, a prudent overall lifestyle pattern will produce the best results.
Do the math
Obesity is complex, and weight control is controversial. Are people fat because of their genes, hormones, metabolism, or habits? Will you shed pounds with a low-carb, high-protein, high-fat diet, or with a low-fat, moderate-protein, high-carb diet? Is high-intensity aerobic exercise better than moderate exercise, or is strength training the best of all?
Medical research is littered with conflicting answers, and the controversies are sure to continue. If these questions appear difficult, even unanswerable, it's because they are the wrong questions. In the final analysis, weight gain is a matter of simple but unforgiving arithmetic: if you take in more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight — but if you burn more than you take in, you'll reduce.
To control your weight, take in fewer calories. It's a real challenge in 21st-century America, but you'll find it easier if you choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and fish instead of sugary drinks, red meat, processed foods, and whole-fat dairy products.
To control your weight, exercise more. Thirty minutes of brisk walking nearly every day is a fine start, but for weighty problems, double the amount of moderate exercise or add intense exercise and weight training as your health permits.
To control your weight, buck the national trend by making wise lifestyle choices. After all is said and done, the choice is yours.

Obese Camps:The Cure For Obesity?

Obese Camps For Families.
Obese Camps: Camp Shane Weightloss Camp
Obese Camps:This is the result at Camp Shane Weightlos Camp
 Are Obesity Camps The Cure For Obesity?

If you find yourself contemplating a weight camp for your overweight child you probably have tried every diet under the sun. You’ve come to the conclusion that its camp or surgery. From where I am sitting obesity camps sound like a lot more fun. Surgery comes at a cost that is more than financial. What if there are complications during surgery? What happens after surgery? What is learned by having surgery? We live in a mercurial society and people want things done snappy. Surgery fits into that category. Your child will lose a lot of weight expeditiously. Which brings me befriend to what is learned! Obesity camps, on the other hand, are not about losing weight hastily it is about learning how to lose weight and making changes in lifestyle to ensure that the weight stays off. Weight camp eliminates the pain of complications and best of all its educational. Weight camp beats surgery.
Most obesity camps have guidelines before acceptance into their program. These guidelines will vary from camp to camp but the reasoning is more or less the same. They want their campers to be desperate and sure to come their goals. The two keys to weight loss are nutrition and expend. obliging obesity camps back your child learn about nutrition and earn fun ways to rep use. Your child will be introduced to activities that he or she would never indulge in prior to camp for fright of ridicule or embarrassment. All campers are equal, they are at camp for the same reasons and they are all overweight.
The objectives of a obesity camps are to announce skills that will be practiced long after camp ends. These include making changes in eating habits, increasing the amount of daily use, and making adjustments in lifestyles. Your child will encourage from improved self fancy, body image, and overall health. The main disagreement between between obesity camp and summer camp, as most people associate the word camp with, is the group sessions and the quality of the staff. Many campers turn out to be councilors later because of the learning experience and how camp changed their lives







Friday, February 24, 2012

Qnexa :Obesity Pill approved by FDA.

  These were the main concerns when the drug was rejected in 2010: potential heart problems,birth defects in babies if Qnexa is taken during pregnancy!In a society looking for a quick fix, Qnexa will probably be sold to millions.Millions of obese Americans WILL be exposed to the possible side effects.The obesity crisis in America can be addressed in another simple way: A quick fix so to speak:Stay away from the fast food outlets and start eating the right food! Commonsense,no?
The Obesity Crisis In America.

FDA Backs Weight Loss Drug Qnexa

Qnexa receives FDA approval





A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel has approved investigational diet drug Qnexa designed to treat obesity in adults. The panel had previously rejected the weight loss drug in 2010 based on safety concerns.
Though approved by the FDA's Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee in a 20-2 vote, the FDA is not bound to accept the recommendation for approval.
Exercise and healthy diet choices should be added to diet drugs to drop weight.
Drugmaker Vivus Inc. expects that the FDA will complete its review of the drug by April 17. Qnexa, a daily oral drug, was developed to address weight loss, type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea.
It combines appetite suppressant phentermine with topiramate, an anti-seizure and migraine medication. Qnexa is designed to work by decreasing a patient's appetite and making users feel full.
"We are pleased with the panel's approval recommendation in support of the safety and efficacy of Qnexa," said Peter Tam, president of VIVUS.
"We look forward to working with the FDA as they complete their evaluation. Obesity is a serious medical condition, and we are committed to making Qnexa available and providing physicians with a new medical treatment option in their battle with this public health epidemic."
Though the panel approved the drug, members did voice concerns about cardiovascular problems and birth defects. Vivus has pledged to undertake a 4-year study involving more than 11,000 patients following approval of the drug to better assess cardiovascular risks in obese patients.
Next month the FDA plans to discuss the possibility of having all weight loss drug makers complete studies to assess heart risks."

  The irony of this drug usage is that in trials it only showed a 10% reduction in body weight, much too little to be classified from "obese" to "normal."Exposing yourself to a drug which at this stage is still questionable,probably not a good idea.

The Obesity Crisis In America Is Still Running Unchecked.

The obesity crisis in America is still running unchecked.In my opinion due to the fact that the obese population is passing responsibility over to government and/or other outside factors
If you are not responsible for something you can not change it!If obesity is not your responsibility YOU can not change it.Although it is a complex problem ,it is common sense to just look at your lifestyle patterns and acknowledge what you are doing wrong!What you have been doing in the past has lead you to this moment.




Obesity is a complex problem that scientists are still struggling to understand. In some cases, genetics seem responsible; in others, various combinations of hormonal, metabolic, and behavioral factors appear to play a role. But in most cases, it's hard to determine the exact cause of obesity.
It's difficult enough for a doctor to figure out why an individual patient has accumulated excess body fat. But what accounts for a worldwide epidemic of obesity? It's hard to understand how human genetics, hormone levels, or metabolic activity could change rapidly and simultaneously in millions of people, yet obesity has been increasing sharply throughout the industrialized world. In less than 40 years, the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. has increased by over 50 percent, so that two of every three American adults are now overweight or obese. Even worse, the obesity epidemic is rapidly spreading to our children.
Diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are the most obvious consequences of obesity, but other results range from cancer, arthritis, and depression to kidney stones, fatty liver disease, and erectile dysfunction. All in all, obesity and overweight account for nearly one of every 10 American deaths, and they also drain our society of $223 billion a year.
In order to control the obesity epidemic, we must first understand its causes. Research points in interesting directions.
Modern work
Understanding obesity is a work in progress — and a 2011 study shows that progress in work is an important factor.
Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, researchers evaluated the relationship between physical activity in the workplace and obesity over the past several decades. In 1960, nearly half the jobs in the private sector required at least moderate physical activity, but in 2010, less than 20 percent demanded this much physical work. Advances in manufacturing and agriculture explain the drop in human energy needed at work. That's good news for a man's back, but not for his belly. In fact, the change in occupational energy expenditure means that the average American man is now burning 142 fewer calories each day than he did in the 1960s. That may not sound like much, but over the years, it adds up. Between 1960 and 1962, the average American man weighed 169 pounds, but during the 2003–2006 time period, he weighed 202 pounds. A decreased energy output of 142 calories a day can account for 28 of those extra 33 pounds. And another 2011 study, this one of 288,498 Europeans, found that inactivity packs on extra weight where it is most harmful, in the abdomen.
Modern recreation
A decrease in physical activity at work would not lead to weight gain if it were counterbalanced by an increase in leisure-time exercise. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened; over the decades, the fraction of Americans who say they meet national guidelines for leisure-time exercise has remained stable at 25 percent — but objective measurements suggest the actual percentage of adults who get enough exercise is closer to 5 percent. And all you have to do to get the leisure-time exercise you need is to walk for 30 minutes a day.
If people don't work out in their spare time, what do they do? They sit still; the average American, in fact, spends 55 percent of his waking hours sitting down. And when Americans sit, they are often perched in front of a video display, either a workplace computer or a living room TV. Sedentary work is an inevitable byproduct of the Information Age, but TV watching is voluntary and optional — and it often involves watching seductive ads for junk foods just when snacks are close at hand.
An American Cancer Society (ACS) study of 123,216 adults with an average age of 63 found that sitting can be hazardous to your health. The scientists reported that the death rate of men who spent the most time sitting was 17 percent higher than that of their peers who spent the least time sitting. Most of the excess deaths linked to sitting were caused by cardiovascular disease, and the results held up even after the researchers took other cardiovascular risk factors into account.
The ACS study excluded sitting at work but evaluated all other time spent sitting, including reading, attending meetings and events, socializing, and watching TV. A 2011 European study that focused specifically on TV watching reported similar results. A total of 12,608 men and women with an average age of 61 volunteered for the research. At the start of the study, all the participants provided detailed information about their medical histories, medications, and health habits, including diet, smoking, drinking, sleep duration, exercise, and TV watching, and all underwent measurements of their height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol profile, and blood sugar status.
During seven years of observation, the men who spent the most time watching TV (an average of over 3.6 hours a day) were compared with the men who spent the least time (less than 2.5 hours a day) in front of the tube. Even though the heavy-duty TV watchers did not consume more calories than the other men, they ate fewer fruits and vegetables and had larger waistlines and higher levels of blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides, as well as lower levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol. It's no wonder, then, that TV watching was linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, even after other risk factors were taken into account. In all, each additional daily hour of TV predicted a 6% increase in the risk of developing heart disease. And a separate 2011 meta-analysis of eight earlier studies reported similar results: each hour of TV viewing per day was linked to a 10% increase in diabetes, a 7.5% increase in heart disease, and a 6.5% higher death rate. Think of these numbers the next time you reach for your remote — and you should also consider the fact that the average American spends about five hours a day watching TV.
Modern eating
Sedentary work and inert recreation account for a large portion of the obesity epidemic — but modern eating also deserves a share of the blame.
To find out how changing eating habits affect weight, researchers from the University of North Carolina evaluated data from four large national surveys that included 44,754 Americans ages 19 and above. The research covered a 30-year span from 1977 through 2006, during which time the national waistline continued to expand.
The average daily caloric intake increased steadily during the study period, but the basis for the increase changed over time. During the first half, increasing portion sizes accounted for the lion's share of the caloric splurge. But in the 1990s, doctors and nutritionists sounded the alarm about the supersizing of American snacks and meals. The warnings seemed to work: starting in 1994, portion size stabilized and then dropped slightly. Food choices also appeared to improve a bit, since the consumption of calorie-rich foods dipped a bit in the 1990s. Was it a triumph for doctors and nutritionists? Sadly, it was not. Although the portion size and caloric density of the average American diet changed for the better, the improvements were very slight. Even worse, these small gains were more than offset by a new threat. Although the caloric content of individual meals and snacks stabilized, Americans began eating more often. Over the 30-year period, the average number of meals and snacks rose from 3.8 a day to 4.9 a day.
All in all, both portion size and eating frequency accounted for the rise in caloric intake; sugar-sweetened sodas made the single largest contribution to the caloric glut. Because the increases accrued slowly but steadily over 30 years, the annualized average calorie intake increased by 28 calories a day. That may not sound like much, but over three decades, it adds up to several notches on the typical guy's belt."

The obesity crisis in America looks like it is in no way abating.I can only say :"The ball is in the court of the obese person and no one else. "Take responsibility and make the changes that will affect your whole life!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Obesity Crisis In America Needs Immediate Attention.


 If the obesity crisis does not get immediate attention,it is going to cost millions,this is the gist of this article.Three drug companies are trying to get  their drugs on the market to fight obesity.But are obesity fighting drugs really the answer or do we just need common sense action from the obese population? Make up your mind after reading about the side effects of some of these obesity drugs.






Share6

Bay Area company's obesity drugs fight for FDA approval



"A trio of California companies are competing to have their obesity drugs become the first federally approved weight-loss medication in 13 years, with a pill made by Vivus of Mountain View due to be reviewed by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration expert panel Wednesday.
The agency is being urged to allow all three treatments onto the market, with some doctors groups saying the obesity epidemic in the U.S. requires immediate attention. Since the 1960s, the percentage of obese Americans has nearly tripled, accounting for more than $100 billion in annual medical costs, by some estimates. And with only one long-term obesity drug approved for sale, many experts fear the nation is headed for a worse crisis.
"If we don't do something about obesity now, we'll pay for it," said Dr. John Morton, director of bariatric surgery at Stanford University Medical Center, who is among those hoping for a new drug.
But because the three treatments under review have been linked to worrisome side effects -- ranging from elevated heart rates to birth deformities -- others oppose rushing them onto pharmacy shelves.
"If you are going to do more harm than good, that's not something the FDA should be a part of," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, of the Public Citizen's Health Research Group in Washington, calling proper diet and exercise the best ways to stay slim.
Turning to exercise
That view is shared by many others,


including 37-year-old Kathryn Winn, of San Jose, a swimming instructor who decided recently she needed to shed some of her 254 pounds. About six years ago, she had enrolled in a clinical study to test a diet pill because "I was looking for a quick fix," she recalled. But she lost only a little bit, which she attributed to eating better and exercising. So this time she has begun working out at Fast Action Training, a San Jose fitness program."I'm down 18 pounds already," she said. "It's hard, but it's something you have to do for yourself."
Nonetheless, America is losing the waistline war. While about 13 percent of its population was obese in 1960, that had swollen to 34 percent by 2008, according to the latest federal data. And a Columbia University study last year predicted it could hit 50 percent by 2030. Obesity is defined according to a formula that takes into account a person's weight and height. A 5-foot 6-inch person generally would be considered obese, for example, if they weighed at least 186 pounds.
Obesity can lead to health problems ranging from diabetes, stroke and heart disease to cancer, liver ailments and pregnancy complications. It's also an oppressive financial burden for the nation.
Totaling $79 billion in 2008, U.S. heath care costs attributed to obesity are expected to reach $139 billion in 2013 and nearly $344 billion in 2018, according to a study by the United Health Foundation and American Public Health Association.
Few medical options
Yet people unable to trim down on their own have few medical options short of getting gastric bypass or other bariatric surgery, which typically is performed only on the severely overweight.
Because they were linked to heart and other problems, the appetite suppressants fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine were taken off the market in 1997, followed by the drug Meridia in 2010. That has left only four FDA-approved weight-loss treatments. Phentermine, phendimetrazine and diethylpropion are for short-term use. The only long-term drug is orlistat, approved in 1999 as the prescription medication Xenical and in 2007 as the over-the-counter Alli.
All four have troubling side effects. Those include sleeplessness, headaches, increased blood pressure and higher heart rates with the short-term drugs and "severe liver injury" in rare cases with orlistat, federal officials say. As a result, Wolfe's group has petitioned the FDA to halt orlistat's sale and European health officials recently put it under scrutiny.
In September, a U.S. Senate committee directed the FDA to report in March "on the steps it will take to support the development of new treatments for obesity." And in October, the American Dietetic Association, the Obesity Society and two other medical organizations urged approval of the California drugs, saying all "had evidence supporting their efficacy."
Vivus claims one of its studies showed people taking a full dose of its new drug Qnexa for 56 weeks lost 37 pounds on average and all of the studies demonstrated "statistically significant" weight loss, the FDA has said. But fears have been raised about Qnexa and the two others under federal review -- lorcaserin, developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals of San Diego, and Contrave, from Orexigen Therapeutics of San Diego.
Vivus acknowledges that Qnexa, which contains two already approved drugs -- an appetite suppressant and a seizure treatment -- can cause constipation, headaches and respiratory infections. In addition, the FDA has expressed concern that the drug might impair memory, trigger suicidal thoughts, raise heart rates and cause birth defects, warning that babies whose mothers take the Qnexa ingredient topiramate "have an increased risk for developing cleft lip or cleft palate" during pregnancy.
Possible side effects
The agency also has noted that rats developed tumors after being tested with lorcaserin. And due to concerns about the possible cardiovascular side effects of Contrave, it ordered Orexigen last year to conduct a new study with about 10,000 patients, which analysts estimate will cost up to $125 million.
Dr. Peter Klassen, Orexigen's head of global development, said the company already has spent about $350 million developing Contrave and had to lay off 40 percent of its workforce after the new study was ordered. But he said it should have enough cash to carry out the testing. Officials at Vivus and Arena declined to be interviewed.
David Gollaher of the California Healthcare Institute, which represents biomedical companies, said it remains unclear how the FDA ultimately will rule on the three drugs. But he said he hopes it doesn't base its decision on the widespread view that obesity is less a medical problem than a failure of willpower.
Considering the national crisis caused by the growing numbers of overweight Americans, he added, "If there were effective drug treatments that had a balanced side-effect profile, those would have a major impact on public health."
Contact Steve Johnson at sjohnson@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5043.


After reading this article I seriously doubt the safety of these drugs.What is the use of curing obesity but you end up with dangerous side effects?












  • Tuesday, February 21, 2012

    A Herbal Remedy : Solution for Obesity In America.

    A  Herbal Remedy : Solution for Obesity In America.

    Did You Know...

    ...that a traditional herbal remedy from the bark of an ancient tree not only reduces obesity, but also cuts your risk of type II diabetes and coronary heart disease?

         Tabebuia impetiginosa is a deciduous tree native to Central and South America.  In herbal medicine around the world, the bark and wood of this tree are considered to have properties that are ... astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal.  Additional properties include: antiparasitic, antimicrobial, laxative, analgesic, antioxidant, and anti-cancerous.

         Now, German scientists have confirmed that extracts of Tabebuia inhibit absorption of dietary fat, and might reduce obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

         The German study of Tabebuia was led by Dr. Nils Roos from the Max Rubner Institute.  The study showed that a Tabebuia extract reduced blood triglycerides (a harmful byproduct of fat breakdown) in rats that had been fed a fatty meal.

         "This result shows the extract may have a potential use in treating obesity," said Dr. Roos.  "However, as coronary heart disease and diabetes have also been shown to be associated with higher triglyceride levels after eating, we believe a food-supplement based on Tabebuia could reduce the incidence of these diseases, as well."

    The "Mother Tree" of Traditional Remedies for Strength and Vigor

    Tabebuia has a long and well-documented history of medicinal use by the tribes of the rainforest.  The Guarani and Tupi Indians call the Tabebuia tree tajy, meaning "to have strength and vigor."

         Herbal remedies drawn from Tabebuia are known by various names including Pau d'arco, lepacho, and pink ipĂȘ, among others, and contain naturally occurring and powerful phytochemicals including lapachol (a therapeutic, healing, naphthoquinone).

         Throughout the Amazon, Tabebuia extracts have been used to treat conditions such as...


    • Malaria
    • Anemia
    • Colitis
    • Respiratory problems
    • Colds, cough, and flu
    • Fungal infections
    • Fever

    • Arthritis and rheumatism
    • Snakebite
    • Poor circulation
    • Boils
    • Syphilis
    • Cancer

         In Europe and the United States, Tabebuia-based supplements are most commonly known as Pau d'arco, and are used in herbal medicine to treat...


    • Lupus
    • Diabetes
    • Ulcers
    • Leukemia
    • Allergies
    • Liver disease

    • Hodgkin's disease
    • Osteomyelitis
    • Parkinson's disease
    • Psoriasis
    • Candida and yeast infections

    What About Reports that Pau D'Arco Does Not Work? Quality Matters!

    Recent years have brought a parade of reports that suggest Tabebuia (or Pau d'arco) may not work as claimed.  However, it's likely not Pau d'arco at fault, but phony and low-quality supplements.

         In the book The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs, Leslie Taylor warns consumers of shockingly deceptive practices with regard to production of this particular supplement.  The best-recognized active substances in Tabebuia, lapachol and quinoids, are both woefully lacking in many or even most commercially available Pau d'arco supplements.


    Leslie Taylor writes:

         Most of the commercially available products ... contain the inner and outer bark of the tree—which is stripped off at sawmills when the heartwood is milled into lumber for construction materials.

         Additionally ... varying species of Pau d'arco bark [are] being sold as herbal products—[with] diminished quality.

         Finally, many consumers and practitioners are unaware that, for the best results when extracting these particular active chemicals (even after obtaining the correct species), the bark and/or wood must be boiled at least 8 - 10 minutes—rather than brewed as a simple tea or infusion (lapachol and the other quinoids are not very water soluble).

         It is therefore not surprising that consumers and practitioners are experiencing spotty results with commercially available Pau d'arco products.


    Choosing a Genuine and Potent Supplement

    Taylor advises consumers to "find a reliable source for this important medicinal plant from the rainforest" and to look for "standardized extracts of Pau d'arco" that guarantee the amount of lapachol and/or quinoids.

         Although this tree's natural wood and bark are quite effective when the correct species is used and prepared properly, Taylor says that "the new standardized extracts may be the safer (although more expensive)" for those without the time and specialized knowledge to research safe, reputable suppliers of wood and bark.

    = = = = = = = = = = =

    To find a solution for the obesity crisis in America,all possible avenues must be explored.The herb Pau d' arco is just one of the herbs that might help in the fight against obesity in America.The sad news is there is no quick fix.This will only aid in weightloss .The truth is the obese person will have to take a multi -discipline approach to overcome obesity.The right mindset comes to mind( no pun intended). Think thin , so to speak .For example look to where you want to go , not where you come from.The best advice I can give the obese person is to make small changes ,and keep on making them every day!Tony Robbins is the expert in making leaps of change.Watch this inspiring video now:

    Take Action Today :Click Here

    Monday, February 20, 2012

    A Solution for Obesity In America Starts With The Children.

    Finding a solution for the obesity crisis in America should start with the American child.It has been found that a large percentage of obese children will grow up to be obese adults .Surely this is the answer to America's obesity crisis.Teach healthy eating habits to young children ,make it fun to exercise,take any possible opportunity to involve kids in an aerobic activity.

    Is this not the duty of the parents you may ask.I agree with you on that,but as we just stated obese parent also produce obese kids.To break this cycle of obesity, outside help will be required.I found this article about someone who has dedicated her life to do exactly that: Providing a solution for the obesity crisis in America.
    Find A Solution For Obesity In America.

    Ploeger: Childhood obesity is problem to be tackled by all ages

    Barbara Ploeger, Enterprise columnist


    Cindy Stephens, one of the personal trainers at the Paul Derda Recreation Center, has dedicated the past 30 years of her life to building confident and healthy kids. Cindy's certifications include training and certification as a "Kids Camp Coordinator" with the YMCA, International Kids Alliance, Aerobic Fitness Association of America, and she is a U.S. Water Fitness Association certified personal trainer for group aquatic fitness. For 17 years while she lived in Florida, Cindy had her own "student fitness program," wherein she traveled to schools and churches, teaching youth about exercise and nutrition. Cindy developed her own curriculum, equipment and props for the games used in the program. Subsequently, in addition to being a personal trainer, Cindy has been an instructor of the Fun & Fitness program at the Derda Center for the past four years. This 45-minute class for ages 8 to 12 focuses on cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility training through a variety of fun activities designed specifically for youth.
    Not long ago, Cindy approached me and asked that I write about something she is seeing more and more frequently with each passing year -- childhood obesity. There have been and continue to be numerous studies regarding the issue, as it creates concerns in a much larger population that just Cindy. There is almost an endless amount of material available, listing the reasons behind this development, or phenomenon, if you will. But the bottom line is that anyone, old or young, is at risk when they carry around more weight than is healthy, live inactive lifestyles and eat bad diets. The risks are almost the same across all age groups. They include physical challenges, such as reduced agility, stiff muscles and sore joints; diabetes; an overworked heart and circulatory system; and a compromised oxygenation system. Being overweight causes ongoing health problems of many varieties, but there is growing concern as these problems seem to be surfacing at younger and younger ages.
    Cindy finds the growing number of overweight youth concerning for a number of reasons: When kids are overweight, they almost always suffer from low self-worth and self-esteem. Their sense of well being is compromised, as is their ability to move and feel comfortable around their peers (who, by the way, often tease and taunt them because of their weight). They are less inclined to participate in organized sports activities, because they become short of breath long before their healthy peers, and sometimes lack the coordination and knowledge needed to feel able to participate.
    Being overweight is indeed an uncomfortable position in which to find ones self, especially in the early formative and highly impressionable years of life.
    Cindy feels compassion for youth in this situation, and has a great passion for helping them feel and do better. She has some helpful suggestions to share, which I will cover in next week's column. In preparation for that, I will state a finding that Cindy passed along to me -- a high percentage of overweight youths have one or both parents who also are overweight. This can be because of genetic tendencies, as well as environmental factors, such as family traditions, lifestyle and nutrition. Often, the adage "monkey see, monkey do" applies to youths' health.
    Good health and fitness is a family affair, not a singular responsibility falling solely on our youth. Tune in next Sunday and read some of Cindy's helpful ideas on how to promote good health and fitness in our families, while having a lot of fun and developing a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
    Barbara Ploeger is the marketing specialist for Broomfield Recreation Services. E-mail her at bploeger@broomfield.org.