Obesity statistics

Almost 13 million (16.9%) of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 are obese.

Nearly one in three (31.8%) U.S. children (23.9 million) ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese.
More than one-third (about 35%) of U.S. adults are obese (more than 78 million adults).
Your healthiest weight

these reasons to work toward maintaining a healthy weight.

When your weight is in a healthy range:

Your body more efficiently circulates blood.

Your fluid levels are more easily managed.
You are less likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and sleep apnea.
Obesity is defined simply as too much body fat. Your body is made up of water, fat, protein, carbohydrate and
various vitamins and minerals. If you have too much fat — especially around your waist — you're at higher risk for
health problems, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes.

Being obese can:

raise blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

lower "good" HDL cholesterol so low LDL tends to raise the risk.
increase blood pressure.
induce diabetes. In some people, diabetes makes other risk factors much worse. The danger of heart attack is
especially high for these people.
Obesity increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. But it harms more than just the heart and blood vessel
system. It's also a major cause of gallstones, osteoarthritis and respiratory problems.

SOLUTION

Work with your doctor to lose weight

The American Heart Association recommends obese patients participate in a medically supervised weight loss
program two or three times a month for at least six months.

The treatment plan for weight loss involves eating fewer calories than your body needs, getting aerobic exercise
for 30 minutes most days of the week and learning the skills to change unhealthy behaviors.

Weight loss surgery may be considered for severely obese patients who have one or more obesity-related health
problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea.

Talk with your doctor about obesity screening and your best treatment options for weight loss.

Definition
Obesity is a condition where a person has accumulated so much body fat that it might have a negative effect on
their health.
If a person's bodyweight is at least 20% higher than it should be, he or she is considered obese. If your Body Mass
Index (BMI) is between 25 and 29.9 you are considered overweight. If your BMI is 30 or over you are considered
obese.
What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?
The body mass index (BMI) is a statistical measurement derived from your height and weight. Although it is
considered to be a useful way to estimate healthy body weight, it does not measure the percentage of body fat. In
general, the BMI measurement can be a useful indicator for the 'average person'.
Why do people become obese?
People can become obese for many different reasons. Lets look at some of the most common ones:
1) Consuming too many calories.

These days people are eating much more food than in previous generations. This used to be the case just in
developed nations - however, the trend has spread worldwide.
Despite billions of dollars being spent on public awareness campaigns that attempt to encourage people to eat
healthily, the majority of us continue to overeat. In 1980 14% of the adult population of the USA was obese; by
2000 the figure reached 31% (The Obesity Society).
In the USA, the consumption of calories increased from 1,542 per day for women in 1971 to 1,877 per day in 2004.
The figures for men were 2,450 in 1971 and 2,618 in 2004. Most people would expect this increase in calories to
consist of fat - not so! Most of the increased food consumption has consisted of carbohydrates (sugars). Increased
consumption of sweetened drinks has contributed significantly to the raised carbohydrate intake of most young
American adults over the last three decades. The consumption of fast-foods has tripled over the same period.
Various other factors are also said to have contributed to America's increased calorie and carbohydrate intake:
In 1984 the Reagan administration freed up advertising on sweets and fast foods for children - regulations had
previously set limits.
Agricultural policies in most of the developed world have led to much cheaper foods.
The US Farm Bill meant that the source of processed foods came from subsidized wheat, corn and rice. Corn,
wheat and rice became much cheaper than fruit and vegetables.
2) Leading a sedentary lifestyle

With the arrival of televisions, computers, video games, remote controls, washing machines, dish washers and
other modern convenience devices, people are commonly are leading a much more sedentary lifestyle compared
to their parents and grandparents.
The less you move around the fewer calories you burn. However, this is not only a question of calories. Physical
activity has an effect on how your hormones work, and hormones have an effect on how your body deals with
food. Several studies have shown that physical activity has a beneficial effect on your insulin levels - keeping them
stable. Unstable insulin levels are closely associated with weight gain.
3) Not sleeping enough
Research has suggested that if you do not sleep enough your risk of becoming obese doubles. Research was
carried out at Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick.

Professor Cappuccio explains that sleep deprivation may lead to obesity through increased appetite as a result of
hormonal changes. If you do not sleep enough you produce Ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite. Lack of
sleep also results in your body producing less Leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite.
………….
Obesity has become an epidemic and an important public health concern. Because the problem is
multidimensional, the solution will require an interdisciplinary approach involving the cooperation of the food
industry with other stakeholders, such as the government, academia, and health care providers. The consumer is
an important player in the solution to obesity because the consumer can make healthy lifestyle choices at the
individual level. The food industry is committed to providing the consumer with healthy food options and reliable
nutrition information.
Conclusion
To help fight the battle against obesity, the food industry must team up with the government, academia, and the
medical community to help inform consumers, strengthen nutrition education, and develop healthier product
choices. ConAgra aims to work in concert with these groups to continue providing consumers with a range of
healthy food options. Giving consumers the best nutrition information and the best nutritional food options may
empower them to make individualized lifestyle changes that will help overcome energy imbalance and, in the long
term, may help curb our struggle with obesity.
……………..
Cómo luchar contra la obesidad

El impacto de la obesidad en nuestra sociedad. La obesidad es considerada en Estados Unidos una epidemia, según
los últimos informes podemos decir que el 25% de la población tiene sobre peso. Cosas tan sencillas como ir a la
compra, jugar al Basket o pasear por un parque son complicadas para muchas personas que tienen graves
problemas de mobilidad. A continuación te vamos a explicar como combatir la obesidad.

Se considera obesidad o sobre peso cuando el indice de masa corporal superar los 27, en ese caso debes empezar
a tomar medidas para reducir tu peso.
2
Lo primero que debes hacer es mejorar tu dieta, por ejemplo, para reducir la obesidad es dejar de consumir
bebidas refrescantes como coca-cola, naranjada, sodas, etc. Estas bebidas son muy ricas en azúcares. Otros
alimentos que hay que eliminar son las patatas fritas de bolsa.

3
En segundo lugar lo que debemos hacer es hacer ejercicio de forma regular. No se trata de convertirnos en
deportista de élite, sino que tenemos que incorporar deporte suave a nuestra forma de vida. Un buen ejercicio es
andar unos 30 minutos al día a ritmo medio.

4
Relacionado con la dieta es muy importante que aumente el consumo de fruta ya que la fruta nos llenara y no nos
engordará. Cuando tengas hambre come fruta y verás como te sacia el apetito y no te engordará. También son
muy recomendables los batidos de fruta.

5
Trata de evitar cualquier tipo de comida con muchas calorías como los fritos, pizzas, pan, helados, etc. Los hidratos
de carbono tampoco son buenos sobre todo si los comemos en la misma comida, por lo tanto, si comemos patatas
no tenemos que comer arroz, si comemos pasta no tenemos que comer pan. Este equilibrio en la ingesta de
hidratos nos ayudará a combatir la obesidad.

6
Un buen ejercicio es dividir el plato en 4 partes, en cada una de las partes debes poner los siguientes productos: 2
partes del plato deben ser vegetales, carne y solo una cuarta parte puede ser pan o arroz o pasta.
7
Una comida saludable y balanceada es aquella que está compuesta por todos los tipos de alimentos de la pirámide
alimentaria, pero todos ellos comidos con satisfacción.

8
El fast food o comida rápida es uno de los principales causantes de la obesidad, no es recomendable comer comida
basura más de 1 vez por semana.

Consejos
La obesidad incrementa la posibilidad de sufrir ataques al corazón.
Los alimentos de dieta pueden ser una buena solución para reducir peso rapidamente y combatir la obesidad.
………….
How to fight against obesity

The impact of obesity in our society. Obesity is considered an epidemic in the United States, according to the latest
reports we can say that 25% of the population is overweight. Things as simple as going shopping, playing baskets
or strolling through a park are complicated for many people who have serious mobility problems. Here's how to
fight obesity.

It is considered obesity or overweight when the body mass index exceeds 27, in which case you should start taking
steps to reduce your weight.

2
The first thing to do is to improve your diet, for example, to reduce obesity is to stop consuming refreshing drinks
like coca cola, orange juice, sodas, etc. These drinks are very rich in sugars. Other foods that need to be removed
are the bag fries.

3
Secondly what we should do is to exercise regularly. It is not about becoming an elite athlete, but we have to
incorporate soft sport into our way of life. A good exercise is to walk about 30 minutes a day at medium pace.

4
Related to the diet is very important to increase the consumption of fruit as the fruit will fill us and we will not get
fat. When you are hungry eat fruit and you will see how your appetite quenches and it will not make you fat. Fruit
smoothies are also highly recommended.

5
Try to avoid any type of food with many calories such as fried foods, pizzas, bread, ice cream, etc. Carbohydrates
are not good either especially if we eat them in the same food, therefore, if we eat potatoes we do not have to eat
rice, if we eat pasta we do not have to eat bread. This balance in hydrate intake will help us fight obesity.

6
A good exercise is to divide the plate into 4 parts, in each of the parts you must put the following products: 2 parts
of the dish should be vegetable, meat and only a quarter can be bread or rice or pasta.
7
A healthy and balanced meal is one that is composed of all types of food in the food pyramid, but all eaten with
satisfaction.

8
Fast food is one of the main causes of obesity, it is not recommended to eat junk food more than once a week.

Tips
Obesity increases the chance of having heart attacks.
Diet foods can be a good solution to reduce weight quickly and fight obesity.